ACT MP Dr Parmjeet Parmar is welcoming the commencement of a select committee inquiry into social media harm faced by young people, with terms of reference that reflect concerns ACT had previously raised.

“We are now in a much better place on this issue than we were seven weeks ago. Instead of rushing into a knee-jerk reaction to any harms young people face from online activity, we are now in a position to collect all the evidence and have an informed conversation about the best way to move forward,” says Dr Parmar.

“In early May I wrote to the Chair of the Education and Workforce Committee to formally request an inquiry into social media harm. Now we have an opportunity to inform ourselves of the evidence so we can come to a workable solution to any clearly defined problems.

“The agreed terms of reference reflect key elements of ACT’s concerns, including the need for clear problem definition, and to assess the benefits as well as any harms of online activity. Importantly, the terms of reference also set out a framework for assessing any proposals, including that any recommendation should be assessed for proportionality, efficacy, workability, severity and likelihood of harm, cost-effectiveness, intrusiveness, and coerciveness.

“This ACT-initiated inquiry gives MPs the chance to listen to parents, educators, experts, and social media companies before jumping to conclusions. I look forward to hearing what people have to say.”

Notes:

The Terms of Reference for the inquiry are available here.

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