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 the NSW Government and the Government of South Australia jointly hosted a first of its kind Social Media Summit.
The NSW Government held sessions at ICC Sydney on Thursday, October 10 and the Government of South Australia hosted sessions at the Adelaide Convention Centre on Friday, October 11.
The summit brought together experts, policymakers, academics, young people, and community voices to discuss the positive and negative impacts of social media on people’s lives and how government can best support digital wellbeing.
The summit will 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 were:
- 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
Live stream
Keynote addresses and major panel discussions from day one of the summit in Sydney were live streamed and the video can be watched below.
The live stream for day two in Adelaide is available on the Government of South Australia website.
Social Media Summit live stream
Join us for day one of the Social Media Summit, jointly hosted by the NSW Government and the Government of South Australia.
Sensitive topics were discussed during the Social Media Summit. If you need support, please contact: Lifeline: 13 11 14, Beyond Blue: 1300 22 46 36 or the Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800.
Keynote speakers (Day one - Sydney)
Dr Jean Twenge is a Professor of Psychology at San Diego State University and the author of more than 190 scientific publications and books including Generations: The Real Differences between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers and Silents—and What They Mean for America’s Future and iGen: Why Today's Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy--and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood.
Dr Twenge delivered a keynote address in which she presented evidence on the relationship between the global adolescent mental health crisis and social media usage.
Frances Haugen is a data scientist and social media accountability advocate. A former Facebook product manager, she became a whistleblower in 2021, revealing internal documents that exposed the company’s prioritisation of profits over user safety. She now leads Beyond the Screen, a non-profit promoting accountability in social media.
Ms Haugen explored how the lack of oversight over social media has harmed children worldwide. Drawing from her experience, she outlined the data she believes platforms must release to help children, parents, and advertisers make informed, responsible decisions.
Panellists and moderators
Day one of the summit featured dynamic panel discussions and presentations with academics, industry leaders, youth representatives, and mental and physical health experts.
Some of the moderators, panellists and presenters who took part in these sessions are listed below in alphabetical order.
| Ellen Armfield - NSW Youth Advisory Council Representative, The Advocate for Children and Young People |
| Dr Paul Byron - Senior Lecturer, School of Communication, University of Technology Sydney |
| Anna Caldwell - Editor, The Sunday Telegraph and Saturday Telegraph |
| Dr Michael Carr-Gregg -Adolescent psychologist |
| Emeritus Professor Paul Chandler - Emeritus Professor and Uncle in Residence, Woolyungah, University of NSW |
| Dr Kerry Chant AO PSM – NSW Chief Health Officer |
| Emeritus Professor Donna Cross - NSW Chief Behaviour Advisor at NSW Education Standards Authority |
| Alice Dawkins - Executive Director at Reset.Tech Australia |
| Dr. Danielle Einstein - Adjunct Fellow, School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, registered clinical psychologist and author |
| Dany Elachi - Co-Founder of The Heads Up Alliance |
| Dr. Rys Farthing - Director of Research, Reset.Tech |
| Tom Forrest (Outback Tom) - Journalist, TV Presenter, Online Content Creator |
| Dr Jonathon Hutchinson - Chair of Discipline for Media and Communication, University of Sydney |
| Julie Inman Grant – eSafety Commissioner |
| Professor Katharine Kemp - Associate Professor and Lead, UNSW Public Interest Law & Tech Initiative, University of New South Wales |
| Lydia Khalil – Program Director of the Transnational Challenges Program at Lowy Institute |
| Dr Rachel Kowert - Author and researcher on the uses and effects of digital games |
| Ariana Kurzeme - Director, Policy & Prevention at Alannah & Madeline Foundation |
| Joseph La Posta - Chief Executive Officer, Multicultural NSW |
| Professor Sarah Maguire OAM - Director, InsideOut Institute for Eating Disorders and Professor of Medicine, University of Sydney |
| Kupakwashe Matangira - Founder of Socially Conscious and Ambassador for Plan International and The Global Institute of Women’s Leadership |
| Jessica Mendoza-Roth - Co-Founder, Wait Mate and CEO, Social Impact Hub |
| Dr. Cynthia Miller-Idriss - Director, Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab, American University |
| Elizabeth Milovidov - Founder, Digital Parenting Coach, Digitalem SAS |
| Dr Joanne Orlando - Digital Wellbeing Researcher |
| Jan Owen AM - Co-Chair, Learning Creates Australia and Principal AQEnterprise |
| Professor Julian Sefton-Green - Professor of New Media Education, Deakin University |
| Dr Zac Seidler - Global Director of Research, Movember |
| Zara Seidler - Co-Founder, The Daily Aus |
| Chloe Shorten - Chair, Centre for Digital Wellbeing and author |
| Professor Amanda Third - Professorial Research Fellow/Co-Director, Young and Resilient Research Centre, Western Sydney University |
| Rosie Thomas OAM - Co-founder and Executive Director, PROJECT ROCKIT |
| Dr Murray Wright - Chief Psychiatrist, NSW Ministry of Health |
| Youth representatives from across NSW |
Have Your Say
The NSW Government recently invited community members to share their experiences, concerns, and suggestions regarding social media through the Have Your Say platform.
The feedback gathered from this survey will shape and inform the summit and support the development of practical solutions to address the challenges and opportunities presented by social media.
Click here to view the survey findings report. (PDF 16.77MB)