Building safer digital spaces for young people's mental health and wellbeing

Building safer digital spaces for young people's mental health and wellbeing 

Watching the next generation grow up, I'm often struck by how different their experience is from the one I had. For many of us, digital technology wasn't a defining part of childhood. Today, it shapes how young people learn, connect and experience the world around them.  

Online spaces can be a powerful force for good, helping young people connect with friends, find community, and access mental health information and support with just a few taps of a screen. But alongside these benefits come risks, particularly for safety, mental health and wellbeing. 

That's why the Australian Government's recently proposed  ‘My Feed, My Way’ Digital Duty of Care reforms are an important opportunity towards creating safer online environments for young people. 

I know a number of our members are supportive of these reforms, particularly because of their potential to help future generations navigate the digital world with stronger protections and better support. At their heart, the intention is about prevention, ensuring young people are better protected before harm occurs, rather than responding after the fact. 

The proposed reforms would place greater responsibility on digital platforms, apps, games and other online services to identify and reduce foreseeable harms, while building safety into their products from the outset.  

This could include addressing design features that can have a negative impact on mental health and wellbeing, such as infinite scrolling, time-limited or disappearing content. Users could also be able to opt out of algorithms, giving them more agency over the content they consume. Platforms would also need to proactively protect people under 18 from harmful content that promotes eating disorders, misogyny, bullying and abuse, or causes serious mental health distress. 

Importantly, these measures recognise that online safety should not rest solely with young people and their families. Platforms themselves have a responsibility to create safer digital experiences. 

No single reform will eliminate every challenge associated with the digital environment. However, the focus on prevention and safety-by-design is a welcome one. It recognises that wellbeing should be a core consideration in how online experiences are designed and managed. 

As the reforms are refined, it’s important that young people and their families, governments, industry and experts continue to help shape the way forward. Ongoing evaluation will also be critical to ensure these measures remain effective as technology and online behaviours evolve. 

The digital world is here to stay, and it’s our responsibility to make it safer. As young people continue to grow up in a world shaped by technology, these reforms are an important step towards creating online environments that better support their mental health and wellbeing. 

The draft Online Safety Amendment (Digital Duty of Care) Bill 2026 is now available for public consultation. Feedback can be submitted through the Department’s consultation webpage, with submissions closing at 12pm on 22 September 2026. This is an important opportunity to help shape how these reforms are implemented and ensure they effectively support the mental health and wellbeing of future generations.