Empowering Youth: The Urgency of Social Media Literacy Education

The federal government plans to ban children from social media, but experts argue this will not solve the issue of online harms. Social media literacy, which involves understanding how algorithms work and critically analyzing content, is essential. Schools should dedicate specific classes to this topic and also educate parents to better support their children.

The federal government has unveiled a national plan to ban children from social media, though specifics are still forthcoming. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has conceded that while no government can protect every child from every threat, they must try their utmost.

Experts caution that a ban won't resolve online harms; instead, they advocate for improved social media literacy. This involves understanding the algorithms that curate content in social media feeds and developing critical thinking skills about the information encountered online.

Dedicated social media literacy classes, starting in late primary school, are proposed as a more effective approach. Such education should also be extended to parents to equip them to better support their children in navigating the digital world. The government should fund and develop comprehensive social media literacy programs to ensure the safety of young users.

(With inputs from agencies.)