As the social media ban for Australian young people rolls out across the country, senior political representatives from both sides have come out in support of reading.
In the wake of this week’s announcement, many young people and their families will be going through a difficult period of adjustment.
In responding to this challenge, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called on children and young people to re-engage with reading, citing the range of mental health and educational benefits it brings.
The Shadow Arts and Education & Early Learning Minister, Julian Leeser, has also come out strongly in support of reading in an article published in The Daily Telegraph and Herald Sun, and highlighted the wealth of incredible Australian writers and stories on offer to children and teens.
“Today’s social media ban creates a once-in-a-generation chance – to put reading back at the centre of childhood,” Leeser writes. “The challenge is to join the dots between this new social media law and encouraging reading for every child.”
With both major parties keen to promote the joys of reading for Australian families, we’re pushing for a national strategy to increase reading rates – with funded national campaigns that help Aussies make space for books.
We’ve rounded up some insights from Aussie teens to listen to their views on the opportunities and challenges around reading in the digital age.
We’ve also put together some top tips for adults on how we can support the young people in our lives to get back into reading.
Find out more about our reading advocacy efforts and how you can get involved in the mission to get more Australians reading.