Advocating for Young People’s Digital Wellbeing through World-first Social Media Reform
Eating Disorders Families Australia (EDFA) has been at the forefront of national advocacy for stronger protections for young people in digital spaces, recognising that unregulated social media environments can contribute to eating disorder triggers and hinder recovery.
Research shows that unfiltered social media exposes young minds to anxiety, depression, disordered eating, impossible beauty standards, and harmful comparison culture. The majority of EDFA carers also shared they believed social media contributed to their loved one’s eating disorder or hindered their recovery.
EDFA Executive Director Jane Rowan, through her involvement with the Let Them Be Kids Campaign, has shared lived-experience insights and evidence to policymakers, highlighting how algorithm-driven content can harm young people and families. Ms Rowan has also represented Australia’s approach at international forums, emphasising that systemic change rooted in lived experience is essential to protect wellbeing and support prevention.
This advocacy contributed to world-first social media reforms that took effect in December 2025, requiring age-based restrictions on social media platforms in Australia, aimed at keeping children under 16 away from these high-risk environments and holding tech companies accountable for the safety of our children.
At EDFA, we remain focused on supporting parents and carers, and ensuring lived experience continues to be heard. We’ll keep advocating for policies and safeguards that genuinely support young people and families, now and into the future.
Our Social Media Reform Hub brings together clear, up-to-date information, practical guidance and trusted resources to help parents and young people navigate this transition with more confidence.
Protecting People at Risk of Eating Disorders from Unsafe Weight-Loss Medications
EDFA is a member of the Eating Disorders Alliance (EDA), a coalition of leading eating disorder organisations across Australia and New Zealand working together to influence policy and protect people at risk. In 2024, EDA raised serious concerns about the safety of compounded GLP-1 receptor agonists being promoted and prescribed for weight loss, particularly due to their potential to trigger or worsen eating disorder behaviours and the lack of appropriate clinical oversight.
Following sustained advocacy with the Australian Government and regulators, a ban on the compounding of GLP-1 receptor agonists was announced. This outcome represents an important step in prioritising patient safety and reducing harm for people living with, or vulnerable to, eating disorders and reflects EDFA’s ongoing commitment to evidence-informed policy change that protects carers and families.
Advocacy efforts continued in late 2025 when eating disorder organisations raised concerns about reports of prescribing practices that may not always include adequate screening or follow-up, including instances of online purchasing.
Eating Disorders Families Australia (EDFA) will continue working with the EDA to call for greater regulation of these products.
Championing the National Eating Disorders Strategy
On August 30, 2023, The National Eating Disorders strategy was launched. It was commissioned by the Department of Health and designed by the National Eating Disorders Collaboration (NEDC).
Based on a depth and breadth of knowledge and ideas from people with lived experience, clinicians, researchers, governments, community providers, service development leaders and public health experts across Australia, the Strategy is designed to guide sector development and policy development for the next decade. It is a system-building strategy.
Eating Disorders Families Australia (EDFA) endorses and embraces the National Eating Disorders Strategy 2023–2033, and is committed to working collaboratively to realise the Strategy’s objectives over the next decade. We aim to contribute to an accessible system of care that recognises the critical role of carers and families through an integrated, stepped approach. We are committed to fostering community understanding, empathy, and holistic support for all individuals and families impacted by eating disorders.
EDFA Submission to the Joint Select Committee on Social Media and Australian Society
Eating Disorders Families Australia (EDFA) Executive Director Jane Rowan appeared at a Joint Select Committee on Social Media and Australian Society public hearing on July 10, 2024, where she presented EDFA’s recommendations for greater regulation of social media for young people in Australia.
EDFA advocates for stricter social media regulations to protect young Australians and calls for:
- Raising the age limit for social media access to 16+ years;
- Effective and robust age verification;
- Practical support and social media literacy resources for parents and carers; and
- Stringent content moderation and algorithm transparency requirements.
Advocating for Carers: Shaping the National Carer Strategy
At the end of 2024, the Federal Government released the National Carer Strategy 2024-2034 and the Action Plan 2024-2027 in a pivotal step towards greater recognition and support for Australia’s unpaid carers. The strategy is the culmination of nine months of work, including consultation with carers around Australia and with co-design input from the National Carer Strategy Advisory Committee, which included EDFA Executive Director Jane Rowan.
The strategy, the first since 2015, aims to provide improved access to tailored support and better financial security for all carers, with the Action Plan outlining several immediate priorities including better access to lived experience services and quality peer support, and stronger referrals from mainstream services like Carer Gateway to organisations such as EDFA.
EDFA continues to advocate for the full implementation of the National Carer Strategy and Action Plan, in addition to efforts to ensure unpaid carers are recognised for their valuable contribution to Australian society and receive tailored support to enable them to continue in this role.
120 Mental Health Clinicians & Experts call for changes to Social Media for Australian children in Joint Letter
Eating Disorders Families Australia (EDFA) Research Committee member, Simon Wilksch, along with 120 paediatricians, psychiatrists, GPs, psychologists, dietitians, social workers, mental health nurses, research and other experts sent a joint letter in September 2024 to Parliament members urging for stronger government intervention to protect young people from the harms of social media.
The letter is also accompanied by a short paper that outlines what we see at the coalface regarding the harm Social Media can cause young people. It also addresses some misconceptions and inaccuracies.
Promoting Health and Wellbeing in The Australian School Curriculum
In a collaborative effort by Eating Disorders Families Australia (EDFA), The Embrace Collective, and EDFA Parent Advocate and educator Kylie Burton, important changes have been made to the Australian School Curriculum v9. These changes aim to make it safer for students at risk of developing an eating disorder or experiencing an eating disorder relapse.
The changes include:
- Over 340 references to Body Mass Index (BMI), weight, calories, healthier, food, and diets were removed or replaced with a new focus on strategies to maintain health and well-being and using the term “balanced nutrition”;
- Teachers are now advised to avoid activities that can cause unintended harms such as critiquing and comparing personal food and well-being choices and habits of those with other people, including calculating kilojoules/calories; assessing body weight and measurements; calculating BMI; and recording food intake in food diaries;
- They are also asked to avoid focusing on constant improvement for all students to be “healthier” and using the terms “good” and “bad” foods; and
- The provision of links to useful resources for educators.
You can learn more about the collaboration by watching EDFA’s EDucation Webinar ‘Body Image and Making Schools Safe’. In this webinar, The Embrace Collective Executive Director Dr Zali Yager and Kylie Burton talk about advocating for safe environments in schools.
There is still more work to be done
Feedback from teachers is they feel there is no clear guidance about what they should do, and they are not aware of the specific resources that can help them to safely teach about food and nutrition in ways that do not cause harm.
If carers need to contact their child’s school about problematic classwork, they can email the ‘Letter to school and resources for educators‘.
Contact details
EDFA: Jane Rowan, jane.rowan@edfa.org.au
The Embrace Collective: Dr Zali Yager, zali@theembracecollective.org
Carer representative: Kylie Burton, K.Burton.Education@gmail.com
Federal MP Campaign
Do you feel unheard and unsupported in the public health space?
EDFA members know first-hand the many service gaps and failings in the health system that prevent our loved ones from getting the treatment they need and deserve.
The run up to the Federal election is the time to demand real action from our local Federal MPs to provide better support for people with eating disorders and their families and carers. To help, we’ve prepared a range of materials to support your local advocacy with your Federal MP.
To participate in the Federal MP Campaign, make sure to follow these steps:
- Find your Federal electorate here;
- Find the address and contact details for your local Federal MP here;
- Prepare your letter by downloading the Template Letter to your Federal MP (this will download as a Word document, so that you can personalise it to include your story, and local Federal MP details); and
- You will also need to include the Comprehensive Approach document.
Before meeting with your local Federal MP, download the Handy Tips, and Meeting Talking Points so that you are well-prepared.
We would love you to tell us how you go! Email us to share your advocacy experience.
Join the Campaign
There are 151 MP's in Australia. Find your MP. Find your voice and speak out.