Youth Advocates Push for Algorithm Control for Safer Social Media

Australian youth calls for digital literacy, parental support, algorithm control, and tech accountability, prioritising education over age verification.

File photo of the icons of social media apps, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and WhatsApp dated Jan. 3, 2018. Yui Mok/PA Wire

Over 93 percent of young Australians use social media daily, with 73 percent seeking mental health support on these platforms, according to data presented by ReachOut Youth Advocates at a Joint Committee on Social Media and Australian Society.

While advocates acknowledged social media’s benefits, they raised concerns about risks like cyberbullying, misinformation, and addictive algorithms.