A local academic has spoken out about the harms of social media on adolescents, urging parents, especially those with daughters, to take a firm stance and remove social media access themselves.

The recent suicides of several Queensland tween and teenage girls are among the factors prompting the Federal Government to propose legislation setting a minimum age for social media.

But according to University of the Sunshine Coast’s Associate Professor in Child/Adolescent Development and Learning, Michael Nagel, while the sentiment is good, in practice, effective change will need to be driven by parents.

“We now have a substantive and growing body of evidence that social media usage is disproportionately harming adolescents, with teenaged girls most at risk of the pitfalls,” Dr Nagel said.

“Girls in particular use social media platforms like Instagram to shape their identity – they are using the platform to create this life of illusion and there is now concrete evidence that this is wreaking havoc on their health.”

“Prior to 2010 teens were doing very well when it came to mental health but at about the same time kids started holding smart phones, things started to deteriorate

“We used to point to casual evidence that social media could be harmful but we now have concrete evidence that these platforms erode happiness and confidence, negatively impact body image and behaviour and impact your brain function.”

Dr Nagel’s upcoming book, Virtual Autism and other Screen Disorders delves into the science behind social media impacts on developing brains.

“Your brain is in development until your late 20s but there are particular times when access to certain content can be most harmful,” he said.

“Between 0 and four years old when the brain is laying down neural pathways and during puberty, when your brain is undergoing a ‘refurb’ and is under construction.”

But he said even kids who were exposed to malicious bullying and other harmful content online struggled to exit social media of their own accord.

“We are at a point where most kids have an understanding that social media is not healthy for them, but they are loathe to turn it off on their own volition,”

“My advice is to get them to blame you, for the parents to be the bad guy.

“Let them shift the blame for you if they have fear of missing out or their friends ask, and clean up your own digital habits.

“If they see you constantly on social media they’ll want to constantly be on social media.”

For 24-hour crisis support phone Lifeline on 13 11 14.