December 9, 2025 • 8 mins
Australia has just raised the social media age from 13 to 16 — a world-first move watched closely around the globe.
And much of it happened because of a campaign organised by Sydney's Nova FM radio host Michael “Wippa” Wipfli. Wippa joins Sean to explain how the 36 Months campaign helped change the law, why parents are backing it, how algorithms have become “insecurity amplifiers” for teens, and why he expects legal challenges to the ban will fail.
Find out more: https://fearandgreed.com.au/
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Welcome to Fear and Greed Q and A where we
ask and answer questions about business, investing, economics, politics and more.
I'm Sean Almer. Today the Federal Government Social Media Band
comes into effect, raising the age that teens in Australia
can access social media from thirteen to sixteen. It's an
extraordinary piece of social reform and one being watched right
around the world. And it goes back to a campaign
(00:27):
that kicked off last year called thirty six Months, representing
the three years between thirteen and sixteen. One of the
organizers of the campaign is radio presenter Michael Whipfley, better
known as Whipper, one third of the Nova Sydney breakfast
show FITZI and Whipper with Kate Ritchie. Of course, Fear
and Greed is a proud partner of Nova Entertainment. Whipper
Welcome back to Fear and Greed Q and A.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
John, Thank you, Mane, thank you for having me on.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
What's it feel like to be so successful to have
something in mind, run a campaign, an advocacy campaign, and
end up with the world first.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Sean, it feels I mean, it's a very generous way
of positioning it. It does feel it feels like relief,
to be honest, but it's also very satisfying in that
I believe the government has simply heard what the parents
and the people of Australia have asked for and they've
delivered on that. I'm sure there was some technique and
a few social pressures that need to play out as well,
(01:20):
but you know, the Prime Minister heard the voice of
one hundred and fifty thousand people that signed the petition.
They heard the Commonwealth of Australia heard the mums and dads,
and they said.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
We can do better. We can do better than this.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
And I think it takes a bit of strength also
to be able to stand up and say, you know what,
this isn't going to be easy. This is going to
be a bit of a rough road. There's going to
be some muddy waters and confusion, absolutely there will be,
but we need to start somewhere and that's what I
think this represents.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
And you managed to get bipartisan support as well with them.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
We did, we did.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Peter Dutton had worked very closely with David Coleman, and
David Coleman had been in the mental health space for
a very long time, sort of twenty years in politics,
and he was also able to see and speak on
behalf of the impact of social media, So there was
very sensitive to him and in turn very sensitive to
Peter Dutton as well. So when he joined us on
the show and said that he puts it at the
(02:17):
top of his list for the first one hundred days
if his government was to get into power or then
we knew we had a good start because that was
before the Prime Minister had committed to making a change.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
Okay, it's going to be a rough morning for a
few parents, let's face it, a rough week, maybe a
rough month. What difference do you think it will make ultimately?
Speaker 3 (02:36):
The long term difference will I believe give parents but
also the kids a bitter peace of mind without the
cloudiness of the impact of social media. And I'm not
talking about just the presence of bullying and judgment and
ranking and all those sorts of things, but also the
impact of They talk about doom scrolling, and they talk
(02:57):
about the impact of sitting their mind while you continue
just to look at different things that are presented in front.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Of your eyes.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
There's better ways to doing that, and I think we'll
be able to measure that in time. But that's the
two major key sides to this. It's the smart algorithms
that play on the vulnerability of kids. You know, it's
a insecurity amplifier. That's exactly what social media does. And
there's many many examples of that, and we've been talking
(03:27):
about you know, for instance, you know, social media will
do a couple of things. If a young girl posts
a photo of herself and then she deletes it, the
social media platform will recognize that, they'll market products to
her based on that, and they'll start selling other things
and being specific about targeting her on appearance, weight, fashion,
(03:48):
whatever it might be. She becomes a clear target based
on her behavior. That's just one of many examples of
how they work.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
You've been everywhere with this campaign over the last year.
In fact, you were as a guest at the UN.
I guess at the Prime Minister at the un what's
that experience been like and what has been the reception
outside Australia.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Your reception has been great.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
In fact, you know, very early on, you know, when
the Prime Minister committed to making a change in the law,
you know, twelve months down the track, we had a
lot of great interest from the UK. We had a
team from Japan flay out to have a conversation about this.
It was only last week a team from the Philippines.
We're engaging in a conversation with thirty six months about
(04:31):
how do we.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Do this, what's the blueprint, what does it look like.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
So by the time we got to the UN as
well Sean, we had, you know, the European Commissioner there,
we had the Prime Minister of Greece, prime Minister of
Fiji wanting to know is this possible. So the resounding
thought was based on the UN and the General Assembly
was great work, great effort. We're watching closely. So we
(04:56):
do know that there's a lot of eyes on Australia
with this new law.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Do you expect many legal challenges? So there are reports
today that Reddit is we'll go to the High Court
and challenge it. Of course there's the couple of kids
affronting a High Court challenge as well on this, basically
saying that we're impeding or the suggestion is that it's
impede's kids' ability to do part of the political discourse.
That's broadly the argument. Do you expect much of that?
(05:25):
Do you expect it? We'll get anywhere.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
No, Look, I don't expect it'll stand to be honest,
I think the overwhelming support is the common sense that
needs to prevail here, you know, platform to platform in
terms of what they supply and what they offer, and
their interaction with the government and where the law sits.
That's another thing that's a conversation for them to have.
I think. I think as far as families and kids go, Unfortunately,
(05:50):
like you mentioned, it's going to be tough for kids.
It's going to be tough for parents. You know from
the experience we've had as well when we've visited schools
and we've had the conversation about supporting school support through
friendship groups, understanding platforms. You know, the last question we
would ask would be if anybody if social media didn't
exist and your friends weren't on it, would you be
(06:13):
happy if this was the world that we lived in
and every hand would go up? So I think it brings,
you know, some relief for the parents but also for
the kids. But in time, that'll need to be the
behavior change that follows the law.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Yeah. Yeah, Do you think that the social media giants
have done enough or maybe we've got to wait and
see that actually doesn't move up.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
I think we're going to need to wait and see.
I mean Julian Rohn Grant and an Alceer Anika Wales
have said that, you know, we'll hold a torch to
the toes and see how they go. I mean my
understanding is that warnings will be given until a fine
is actually applied to anybody that doesn't fit the rules
that Australia is now setting.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
So we'll just have to see how that plays out.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
What's next with them? This is the incredibly successful advocacy.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
What's the next? Great question Christmas?
Speaker 1 (07:00):
Are they don't rest on your laurels, don't rest on
your lives.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
But I don't know. You know what we have.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
We have been talking as atainment thirty six months because
you know, we need to be able to work out
I mean, sure, that's a great idea, and yes, we
absolutely believe that this is the right place to play
and we know that it won't be smooth, but in time,
I think we'll see the logic in what we're doing,
but we.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Need to be able to measure it as well.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
So we have been working on a few things because
you know, some tools that could be placed within schools
because we know that that's where things are amplified. Also,
you know, if it's happening for kids, it often is
reading the playground. So we like to believe that there's
a tool out there that can show the impact as
the Prime Minister set of kids getting off social media
and getting onto the sporting fields.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
We'd like to see that.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
We've congratulations in quite the achievement. And thank you for
talking to us this morning on Fear and Greed.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
John, Thank you for having me on Mate Love the podcast.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
That was Michael Whipper Whippley, one third of the Nova
Sydney Breakfast team fits in Whipper with Kate Richie and
our organizer of the thirty six Months campaign, who as
much as anyone, is responsible for the social media band
that kicks in today. If you've got something you'd like
to know, then send through your question on LinkedIn, Instagram,
Facebook or at beiringreed dot com dodau. I'm sure, I alma,
and this is Beer and Greed Q and a
Welcome to Fear and Greed Q and A where we
ask and answer questions about business, investing, economics, politics and more.
I'm Sean Almer. Today the Federal Government Social Media Band
comes into effect, raising the age that teens in Australia
can access social media from thirteen to sixteen. It's an
extraordinary piece of social reform and one being watched right
around the world. And it goes back to a campaign
(00:27):
that kicked off last year called thirty six Months, representing
the three years between thirteen and sixteen. One of the
organizers of the campaign is radio presenter Michael Whipfley, better
known as Whipper, one third of the Nova Sydney breakfast
show FITZI and Whipper with Kate Ritchie. Of course, Fear
and Greed is a proud partner of Nova Entertainment. Whipper
Welcome back to Fear and Greed Q and A.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
John, Thank you, Mane, thank you for having me on.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
What's it feel like to be so successful to have
something in mind, run a campaign, an advocacy campaign, and
end up with the world first.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Sean, it feels I mean, it's a very generous way
of positioning it. It does feel it feels like relief,
to be honest, but it's also very satisfying in that
I believe the government has simply heard what the parents
and the people of Australia have asked for and they've
delivered on that. I'm sure there was some technique and
a few social pressures that need to play out as well,
(01:20):
but you know, the Prime Minister heard the voice of
one hundred and fifty thousand people that signed the petition.
They heard the Commonwealth of Australia heard the mums and dads,
and they said.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
We can do better. We can do better than this.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
And I think it takes a bit of strength also
to be able to stand up and say, you know what,
this isn't going to be easy. This is going to
be a bit of a rough road. There's going to
be some muddy waters and confusion, absolutely there will be,
but we need to start somewhere and that's what I
think this represents.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
And you managed to get bipartisan support as well with them.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
We did, we did.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Peter Dutton had worked very closely with David Coleman, and
David Coleman had been in the mental health space for
a very long time, sort of twenty years in politics,
and he was also able to see and speak on
behalf of the impact of social media, So there was
very sensitive to him and in turn very sensitive to
Peter Dutton as well. So when he joined us on
the show and said that he puts it at the
(02:17):
top of his list for the first one hundred days
if his government was to get into power or then
we knew we had a good start because that was
before the Prime Minister had committed to making a change.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
Okay, it's going to be a rough morning for a
few parents, let's face it, a rough week, maybe a
rough month. What difference do you think it will make ultimately?
Speaker 3 (02:36):
The long term difference will I believe give parents but
also the kids a bitter peace of mind without the
cloudiness of the impact of social media. And I'm not
talking about just the presence of bullying and judgment and
ranking and all those sorts of things, but also the
impact of They talk about doom scrolling, and they talk
(02:57):
about the impact of sitting their mind while you continue
just to look at different things that are presented in front.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Of your eyes.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
There's better ways to doing that, and I think we'll
be able to measure that in time. But that's the
two major key sides to this. It's the smart algorithms
that play on the vulnerability of kids. You know, it's
a insecurity amplifier. That's exactly what social media does. And
there's many many examples of that, and we've been talking
(03:27):
about you know, for instance, you know, social media will
do a couple of things. If a young girl posts
a photo of herself and then she deletes it, the
social media platform will recognize that, they'll market products to
her based on that, and they'll start selling other things
and being specific about targeting her on appearance, weight, fashion,
(03:48):
whatever it might be. She becomes a clear target based
on her behavior. That's just one of many examples of
how they work.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
You've been everywhere with this campaign over the last year.
In fact, you were as a guest at the UN.
I guess at the Prime Minister at the un what's
that experience been like and what has been the reception
outside Australia.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Your reception has been great.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
In fact, you know, very early on, you know, when
the Prime Minister committed to making a change in the law,
you know, twelve months down the track, we had a
lot of great interest from the UK. We had a
team from Japan flay out to have a conversation about this.
It was only last week a team from the Philippines.
We're engaging in a conversation with thirty six months about
(04:31):
how do we.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Do this, what's the blueprint, what does it look like.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
So by the time we got to the UN as
well Sean, we had, you know, the European Commissioner there,
we had the Prime Minister of Greece, prime Minister of
Fiji wanting to know is this possible. So the resounding
thought was based on the UN and the General Assembly
was great work, great effort. We're watching closely. So we
(04:56):
do know that there's a lot of eyes on Australia
with this new law.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Do you expect many legal challenges? So there are reports
today that Reddit is we'll go to the High Court
and challenge it. Of course there's the couple of kids
affronting a High Court challenge as well on this, basically
saying that we're impeding or the suggestion is that it's
impede's kids' ability to do part of the political discourse.
That's broadly the argument. Do you expect much of that?
(05:25):
Do you expect it? We'll get anywhere.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
No, Look, I don't expect it'll stand to be honest,
I think the overwhelming support is the common sense that
needs to prevail here, you know, platform to platform in
terms of what they supply and what they offer, and
their interaction with the government and where the law sits.
That's another thing that's a conversation for them to have.
I think. I think as far as families and kids go, Unfortunately,
(05:50):
like you mentioned, it's going to be tough for kids.
It's going to be tough for parents. You know from
the experience we've had as well when we've visited schools
and we've had the conversation about supporting school support through
friendship groups, understanding platforms. You know, the last question we
would ask would be if anybody if social media didn't
exist and your friends weren't on it, would you be
(06:13):
happy if this was the world that we lived in
and every hand would go up? So I think it brings,
you know, some relief for the parents but also for
the kids. But in time, that'll need to be the
behavior change that follows the law.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Yeah. Yeah, Do you think that the social media giants
have done enough or maybe we've got to wait and
see that actually doesn't move up.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
I think we're going to need to wait and see.
I mean Julian Rohn Grant and an Alceer Anika Wales
have said that, you know, we'll hold a torch to
the toes and see how they go. I mean my
understanding is that warnings will be given until a fine
is actually applied to anybody that doesn't fit the rules
that Australia is now setting.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
So we'll just have to see how that plays out.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
What's next with them? This is the incredibly successful advocacy.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
What's the next? Great question Christmas?
Speaker 1 (07:00):
Are they don't rest on your laurels, don't rest on
your lives.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
But I don't know. You know what we have.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
We have been talking as atainment thirty six months because
you know, we need to be able to work out
I mean, sure, that's a great idea, and yes, we
absolutely believe that this is the right place to play
and we know that it won't be smooth, but in time,
I think we'll see the logic in what we're doing,
but we.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Need to be able to measure it as well.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
So we have been working on a few things because
you know, some tools that could be placed within schools
because we know that that's where things are amplified. Also,
you know, if it's happening for kids, it often is
reading the playground. So we like to believe that there's
a tool out there that can show the impact as
the Prime Minister set of kids getting off social media
and getting onto the sporting fields.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
We'd like to see that.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
We've congratulations in quite the achievement. And thank you for
talking to us this morning on Fear and Greed.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
John, Thank you for having me on Mate Love the podcast.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
That was Michael Whipper Whippley, one third of the Nova
Sydney Breakfast team fits in Whipper with Kate Richie and
our organizer of the thirty six Months campaign, who as
much as anyone, is responsible for the social media band
that kicks in today. If you've got something you'd like
to know, then send through your question on LinkedIn, Instagram,
Facebook or at beiringreed dot com dodau. I'm sure, I alma,
and this is Beer and Greed Q and a
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