HOST: Our next guest is very important to a topic that we launched yesterday, the initiative called 36 months. We need you to go to 36months.com.au. We want you to sign the petition. The petition that says we need to change the age that kids can join social media from 13 to 16. We went through the statistics yesterday with the Premier Minns in the studio here. From 2008 to 2022, the rates of self harm doubled between the ages of 15 and 19. And how's this, tripled for girls under the age of 14. 2008 20 per cent of children aged 15 to 24 had psychological distress from social media. That number last year was 50 per cent. 50 per cent of young girls, teenage girls on social media were affected and their mental health was challenged. The Prime Minister now joins us on this topic. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Thanks for coming on, mate.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good to be with you. And congratulations on what is a really important campaign that is a topic of conversation, I think, on the sidelines of every netball or footy game or after school, parents are really concerned about the impact of social media. And it is having a devastating impact on the mental health of too many of our young Australians. And it can be such a negative place, unfortunately, for everyone, I've got to say. But it will have a particular impact on young people.
HOST: You're right, though, aren't you? Because even as adults, I know that it can affect me. I'm a 45 year old woman with a whole life full of experience and challenges that I've overcome. But when you're very young, you kind of, you can't really see that. And you're also right that these discussions are happening in schools and on netball courts and on sidelines all over the place. But it's as if up until now, we've thrown our hands up and thought, ‘Well, what are we really going to do about it? These are the laws, you know, what I'm going to do is just continue to fight with my child at home about the fact that they shouldn't be on it, but they will, because no one's helping us’.
PRIME MINISTER: That's right. Well, we put in the Budget money for a trial, essentially, of how we can restrict, age restrictions, how it can be effective. That will take place. We want to make sure that any changes that are made actually work. You don't want them being circumvented around the side door, if you like. And the Internet is difficult. We know that's the case to provide any restrictions. We did that in this year's Budget. Last year's Budget, we quadrupled funding for the e-Safety Commissioner. Just think about that. I can't think of anything else where we increased funding by four times because of the impact that this is having. It can be devastating. I mean, I know, I don't look at the comments on my social media because if I did, I'd find it difficult to leave the house in the morning. People will say things anonymously that are terrible. But the impact on young people, where people will be in group chats, exchanging with each other as well, putting pressure on about body image, about so many issues that will have an impact on young girls and young boys as well. I know that it is something that is raised with me over and over again. And that's why we put in place this trial. We also have, Michelle Rowland has initiated a joint parliamentary inquiry so that people can make their submissions, companies involved can make submissions as well to put their case. But we need, I think, the whole of society to act on this because this is a problem for the whole of society.
HOST: PM, I didn't know this. It's an unbelievable figure. But 92 per cent of Australian teens aged between 15 to 16 years of age do have social media accounts. That's almost, nearly, we're talking nearly every kid in Australia has one. And, you know, I mean, if you take yourself and Anthony Albanese back to that age of 15, 16, learning, you know, finding, becoming a young adult, when you're leaving school and, you know, you're copying it at school and then you're copying it online when you get home, this is a no brainer, PM, going into your next election, if you can help parents out here, if we could raise this age, it'd be a huge thing for every parent in Australia.
PRIME MINISTER: It certainly would be, Fitzy. Of the things that we know as well is that people say things online that they would never say face to face completely. The sort of anonymity of it, the rudeness, frankly, of what occurs. But in some cases it can be much more sinister as well, deliberately trolling people. I struggle to find the motivation for some of the hatred that comes out as well online. I do think that part of what this debate will do, I hope, is that it makes people to think twice about some of the things that they're posting as well. Would you say these things to someone face to face? And if you wouldn't, don't press send. Don't engage in that way as well. So, that's one side of it, the perpetrators, and some of them, of course, who engage in the extreme activity need to be held to account as well. I think that's an issue that will come through as well. We wouldn't cop someone threatening a fellow citizen face to face in the way that it happens online. And we need to look at those issues, but we need to protect our youngest Australians. There's no question about that.
HOST: Prime Minister, I think about that what's also exciting here, and there's some further reading at 36months.com.au, where you can sign the petition, but the idea of giving 36 months back, you're reconnecting the families. And not only that, you're creating an opportunity for the right education to be in place. So, teenagers, by the time they hit 16 and they want to join the world of social media, they've got to know themselves first. And they also have the skills to handle what might happen when they join that social media community. So, you know, there's the horrible stories on one side, which is devastating and really hard to hear, but there's a great opportunity on the other side, which I think is really exciting to think about what we can do from an education point of view. So, that's why that 36 months is crucial. When you see this happening on the other side of the world and in America, there's a movement, but it's state by state, knowing that you're in a position here where we could be a world leader, we could be a world leader and have the other nations follow your lead by making it illegal, that's a really powerful position you've got.
PRIME MINISTER: It is. And that's why we want to make sure that we get it right, because this is such an important issue. Look, I have had feedback as well from teachers in schools where, of course, one by one and then state by state, we're seeing a banning of the use of mobile phones in classrooms. That is having a really positive impact as well, you know, and that shows that people can get some of their lives back, some of their time back as well. What we want is our youngest Australians spending more time outside playing sport, engaging with each other in a normal way and less time online. And one way to do that is through restrictions on social media. Young people, when they're engaging with each other, they learn that social interaction. And this, of course, has had tragic consequences. And we know that the issues of mental health of our young people is something that is a real challenge. And we need to deal with it. And adults need to be engaged and we need to talk with the young people as well.
HOST: Prime Minister, could you go to 36months.com.au and sign the petition for us?
PRIME MINISTER: I can't sign petitions because they're to me.
HOST: We want your name on it. We want your name on it to say that you clearly understand what we got to do here because you can pull the trigger.
PRIME MINISTER: I assure you I am very supportive of the work that is taking place. And I would encourage people to go to 36months.com.au.
HOST: Thank you, mate. We want to continue this conversation. So, thank you for joining us on the show.
PRIME MINISTER: Congratulations to you, mate. It's been really important leadership and it shows. I think it is, I said this on the weekend. It's a really positive example of what the media can do that creates that positive space. And well done.
HOST: Thank you, Prime Minister. Really appreciate your time this morning.
PRIME MINISTER: Have a great day.