New National Taskforce Established to Address Social Media’s Impact on Body Image and Eating Disorders

A new National Taskforce has been launched today to tackle the growing challenges posed by social media in relation to body image, and eating disorders, especially relating to young people.

The Taskforce is comprised of leading specialists from the body image and eating disorder sectors, including researchers, clinicians, individuals with lived experience, and leading eating disorder organisations.

Its mission is to engage with key stakeholders from government, industry, and the community to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to make social media safer for users on a national-level.

The establishment of the National Taskforce comes in response to mounting concerns about the harmful effects of social media on mental health and wellbeing, particularly body image and eating disorders, and the need for coordinated, national-level action.

Last week, the government responded to these concerns by proposing legislation to ban social media for teenagers under 16 years. While this measure acknowledges the need for greater protections for young people, the Taskforce affirms that additional solutions are essential to keep users safe online. A multi-pronged approach, combining policy reform, industry accountability, and public education, is critical.

“We must shift the onus from young people and those struggling with body image to protect themselves from content that negatively impacts their body image, to Government and corporation regulation,” says Varsha Yajman, who has a lived experience of an eating disorder. 

Building on Collaborative Efforts

In May 2024, members of the Taskforce participated in a roundtable, convened by the Federal Member for Goldstein, Zoe Daniel MP, and led multiple working groups to provide recommendations to the Australian Government.

Promisingly, many of these recommendations are reflected in the legislation that is currently being debated by the Federal Parliament. In addition, these recommendations were reflected in the final report from the Joint Select Committee on Social Media and Australian Society published this week, following months of inquiries and consultations. These underscore the broad consensus and strong support for our shared approach.

The Taskforce will continue to advocate for these recommendations and push for further reforms that can effectively address the dangers posed by social media, including the harmful promotion of unrealistic body standards and eating disorders.

The Taskforce will focus on:

• Policy Advocacy: Building on learning from global leaders and legislation (e.g., the European Union’s Digital Services Act), we will push for stronger regulations to hold social media platforms accountable for content that harms users’ mental health, particularly concerning body image and eating disorders.
• Industry Collaboration: Engaging with social media companies to implement evidence-based changes to their platforms, such as improved content moderation, clearer reporting mechanisms, and promoting positive body image and appearance diversity messaging.
• Public Education and Awareness: Raising awareness about the links between social media use and mental health, with a particular focus on body image, disordered eating, and eating disorders, as well as providing resources, prevention/interventions, and support for those affected, including individuals with diverse body types and marginalised groups (e.g., First Nations, people of colour, individuals with a disability).

Members

Dr Hannah Jarman, Deakin University

Associate Professor Marilyn Bromberg, University of Western Australia

Dr Jasmine Fardouly, University of Sydney

Melissa Wilton, Butterfly Foundation

Dr Jim Hungerford, Butterfly Foundation

Dr Sarah Squire, Butterfly Foundation

Dr Sarah Trobe, National Eating Disorders Collaboration (NEDC)

Jade Gooding, Australia & New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders (ANZAED)

Varsha Yajman, Mental health youth advocate

Dr Siân McLean, La Trobe University

Professor Susan Rossell, Swinburne University

Belinda Chelius, Eating Disorders Queensland

Dr Amy Slater, Centre for Appearance Research

Jane Rowan, Eating Disorders Families Australia

-ENDS-

Media Contacts

Editor and producers note

Please include the following support line details in all media coverage of this story and refer to the Mindframe Media guidelines for safe reporting on eating disorders.

Anyone needing support with eating disorders or body image issues is encouraged to contact:

• Butterfly National Helpline on 1800 33 4673 (1800 ED HOPE) or support@butterfly.org.au
• Eating Disorders Victoria Helpline on 1300 550 23
• For urgent support call Lifeline 13 11 14