Social media use and impacts

Help create a safer social media environment for everyone

The NSW Government will host a Social Media Summit on Thursday, 10 October in Sydney.

The summit will bring together experts, policymakers, academics, young people, and the wider community to discuss the positive and negative impacts of social media in people's lives and explore the path forward.

It comes in response to increasing concerns about the harmful effects of social media on young people, including exposure to inappropriate and illegal content, cyberbullying, and negative impacts on their mental health and development.

Have your say by Sunday, September 8

Ahead of the summit, the NSW Government wants to hear what community members think of social media. This includes how and why we and our families use it along with concerns related to online safety, disinformation, misinformation, online hate and extremism.

The information gathered from the survey will directly inform the discussions at the summit and help the government formulate practical solutions to address the issues posed by social media, with the goal of supporting everyone to have a safer and more positive online experience.

Survey closes Sunday, September 8

About the summit

As social media becomes increasingly integral to our daily lives, concerns about its impact, particularly on the mental health and social development of young people, are becoming more pronounced.

In response, a first of its kind Social Media Summit, jointly hosted by the NSW Government and the Government of South Australia, will be held this year.

The NSW Government will host sessions in Sydney on Thursday, October 10 and the Government of South Australia will host sessions in Adelaide on Friday, October 11.

The summit will bring together experts, policymakers, academics, young people, and members of the wider community to discuss the positive and negative impacts of social media on people’s lives, particularly children and young people, and how government can best support digital wellbeing. 

The summit will help inform the design and delivery of a range of policies, programs and resources to address the challenges posed by social media.

Key focus areas of the Social Media Summit will be:

• Impacts of social media on children and young people's wellbeing
• Online safety
• Social media's role in disinformation and misinformation
• Addressing online hate and extremism
• How social media is changing the way government delivers services

For more information on the Social Media Summit, visit www.nsw.gov.au/socialmediasummit.

Stay informed

Further details on speakers, panellists, live streaming and event schedules will be made available later in the year.

Updates about the NSW event will be published here.