Researchers analyse framing of youth social media use in Australian policy discussions
The researchers analyse the debates over age based platform restrictions in Australia.
A new paper, published in the journal SAGE Journals, examines how concerns around children’s social media use are framed in debates surrounding regulation and online safety. The study was authored by researchers Justine Humphry, Catherine Page Jeffery, and Jonathon Hutchinson.
According to the paper, the research focuses on debates related to Australia’s proposed social media age restriction laws. The authors argue that media coverage and political discussion increasingly frame teenagers’ social media use as an issue requiring stronger regulation.
The paper explores how discussions about risk, safety, and childhood vulnerability influenced calls for age-based restrictions on social media. The study also examines how age-based regulation emerged as a proposed policy response to wider concerns about digital platforms and young people.
The research contributes to broader academic discussions on digital governance, youth agency, and media regulation. The research was published as an open-access article in Convergence and centres on policy debates in Australia.
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