Butterfly Foundation, in conjunction with eating disorder experts, individuals with lived experience, leading MPs and social media experts, is calling on the Government to take immediate action to support young people in Australia when it comes to body image and mental health issues exacerbated by social media.
The working group has devised a set of 21 recommendations, which are largely aimed at modifying legislation regarding online safety rules and the practices of social media platforms.
It’s an issue on the rise with almost two thirds (61.7%) of young people in Australia (aged 12-18) saying social media made them feel dissatisfied with their body – up by 12% since 2022. We believe it’s time action is taken to halt this worrying trend.
If you have been impacted by any of the issues raised by Butterfly’s roundtable and recommendations then make sure your local MP is on board. We have drafted a letter that you can use as a template to share, outlining the key areas that need to change.
We feel it’s important for MPs to be aware of the severity of the situation and to hear personal stories to highlight this and help be a vehicle for change. It doesn’t have to be long – just a few sentences about your experiences can make a huge difference.