LAURA JAYES, HOST: There are growing calls from parents and even some state leaders for a social media crackdown. One idea that's been floated is a complete ban for children under the age of 16 from apps like Facebook and Instagram. It's all in a bid to tackle the mental health harms that could come from children having this online presence. A package from our very own Matt Cunningham, a story from our very own Matt Cunningham, which we played earlier this hour, shared the story of a mother in the Northern Territory whose daughter took her own life after being bullied. Joining me now is Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy. Malarndirri, thanks so much. Matt has really detailed the particularly pervasive effect that social media can have in Indigenous communities. Does it need a special type of response?
ASSISTANT MINISTER, MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: Yeah. Good morning, Laura. You're correct, Matt certainly has done extensive work on this and he was certainly with me when I travelled to the Tiwi’s recently and spoke with children at the Christian School on the Tiwi’s about this issue. We are very concerned, certainly as the Albanese Labor government, about what is going on with our youth across Australia. And I certainly have read the media articles and the media campaign and certainly say that’s a really good thing to do because our kids have to be kids, Laura, you know, wherever they are across Australia. And we're seeing way too many of our children impacted in very dreadful circumstances to the point of absolute tragedy, and that should never occur.
JAYES: For years, Matt and we here on AM Agenda have been bringing our viewers reports about escalating violence in places like Alice Springs. And this often includes young people. Is the use of social media and sharing of videos almost boasting, do you think that's made things worse and harder to get under control?
McCARTHY: It certainly contributed a lot to the unrest, to what we've seen in certain communities across the Northern Territory in particular, to where people and families are fighting against one another. I've certainly seen it in my time as a politician. It'll be nearly 20 years next year, when I first put my hand up to enter politics at the local level, and I've never seen anything like it Laura, in my travels across Australia and in particular in the Northern Territory. I do believe that our youth are being extremely influenced in such a negative way and for some young ones, especially those as young as 9,10, 11, 12, when their minds are still being developed, it is hard for them to be able to filter the information in a way that protects them, but also protects their families. So I have real concerns, and I'm raising that very, very intimately here in the parliament with my colleagues, but also with the Minister responsible, Minister Rowland.
JAYES: Okay, so this is a priority for you, but also this government and cabinet, because we are talking about it almost every day. We're talking about solutions. They don't all come down to government, I understand that. But can we accept something drastic from the Albanese government when it comes to this use of social media and soon?
McCARTHY: Well as with all governments, we have to follow due process. And one of the things we're doing with regards to this, Laura, is to be able to have a joint parliamentary committee that will start work on this, I understand in the next sittings, this will be put forward. Now, that's at a government level. But you're right, it's not just up to governments, it is up to families, it is up to organisations. Again, if I can speak on a personal level, just in my household, you know, I've raised six children, I've got still young ones that I don't want them to have that impact, you know, nine and ten year olds in terms of their use of social media. So, we've made a particular decision in our family household about their use. But it also means we as adults, as we sit there with our family, we make sure we're not on social media, too, because it's actually about setting an example to our young people as to why they shouldn't be watching on their, you know, Facebook, on their Instagram or TikTok or whatever it is they want to do, they shouldn't be doing that. They certainly shouldn't be doing that when we sit around as a family to talk around dinner. So, I think there's lots of things we have to do about this at every angle, and I'm certainly working on it in terms of the Albanese Labor government.
JAYES: Malarndirri, do you get much pushback in your household? Because I reckon there's a lot of parents around the country at the moment saying, do as I say, not as I do.
McCARTHY: Absolutely. You're spot on. You're spot on. You know, I have three little girls who, yeah, they rightly put forward their responses to the way we want to run things, but at the end of the day, they do accept the general rule of the household.
JAYES: That's good. Well, we can all learn from that as well. And you're spot on about the example as well. We can't just tell kids that phones are bad for them. Get off their phone. You can't be on it all the time and then we do the exact opposite. So, look, conversation, and we really appreciate you being on the show today and also part of Matt's storytelling as well. Appreciate it, Malarndirri.
McCARTHY: Thanks, Laura.