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In this project we worked with 204 young Victorians to examine the promotion of alcohol, unhealthy food, sugary drinks, and gambling on social media. Our “citizen scientist” participants worked with us to collect 5,169 examples of advertising they saw on their own social media feeds over a twoweek period. In addition to the collection of visual data, citizen scientists completed two surveys on their views and perceptions of unhealthy marketing on social media before and after the collection of screenshots, and were invited to download and share information Facebook created about them in its advertising model. They also offered insights and self-reflections on the data they were collecting via online chat and discussion forums. This research establishes a considerable body of evidence of unhealthy marketing through digital channels, co-analysed with young people themselves. The evidence presented here can inform the development of monitoring and regulation of digital marketing by harmful industries. The project has also drawn attention to and developed young Victorians’ critical literacies related to digital marketing by harmful industries. Our citizen science approach has enabled the active involvement of research participants in the data collection and analysis of findings, and engaged young people as advocates for change in the governance and accountability of marketers and digital platforms that cause harm and evade accountability.

Social media like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok have revolutionised social lives and have had a big impact on how we connect, learn, remember, and even how we work and find jobs. For young people who have grown up using social media, the digital traces of life generated through social media use can also represent important personal histories. However, as young people move into professional lives, their past disclosures can, for better or worse, be resurfaced. What one says and does on the internet can persist, potentially having a negative impact on young people’s futures. This project investigated how young Australians use social media, how they represent themselves on social media when preparing for employment, and how employers use social media for making employment decisions. After rapidly redesigning the study in the context of COVID-19 and stringent lockdown measures in 2020 and 2021, we conducted 13 focus groups with 72 young people aged 16-35 (average age 22.5) and 12 interviews with managers and recruiters who used social media to vet job applicants, all via Zoom. We also conducted an extensive content analysis of 312 international news media stories on people losing their jobs because of a social media post, and an analysis of 36 school technology policies that often covered social media use at school. Our key findings are: Many young people are acutely aware of being surveilled and seen on social media (by peers, family, and both current and future employers) and for some this manifests as anxiety about being ‘cancelled’ (or the possibility of reputational harm) in the future. The extent to which young people learn about the relationship between social media use and ‘professional identity’, and how to manage privacy on social media, varies significantly and is shaped by peers, parents, and schools. Schools tend to take a conservative approach to discussing social media use in their public policies, focussing on risk and bullying. Contributing to a focus on risk are numerous news stories about people being fired from their jobs due to a social media post (made by themselves or a third-party where they are featured) demonstrating a public interest in these stories. Some young people use social media to their advantage to find work, including in creative fields such as illustration or drag performance, but also as aspiring influencers and content streamers. Young people employ complex and varied privacy management strategies when it comes to social media including maintaining multiple profiles on the same platform, using aliases and pseudonyms, segregating audiences both within and across platforms, and using different platforms for different purposes. Recruiters are using social media platforms in their hiring practices. This is either using platforms such as LinkedIn to recruit employees directly, or screening personal social media profiles of applicants to determine suitability for a role and judge ‘team fit’. In schools and families, there is a need for more holistic, positive discussion of social media as a tool for young people that is not just focussed on risk and catastrophe but also acknowledges pleasure, fun, and the productive capacities of social media. This research was funded by the Australian Research Council (DE190100858).

Report context: In 2020, Monash University and the Australian Catholic University partnered with the APS Reform Office in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to research young Australians' perceptions about and experiences with public services. Our work engaged with almost 3,000 young people through surveys and focus groups, and was supported by secondary data sources from surveys and social media. The report also featured in the development of Australia’s Youth Policy Framework (2020). You can find our full report, recordings from research presentations, and other information about the research outcomes below. Report outline: This report presents the findings of a large-scale, mixed-methods study of youth transitions in Australia, with a particular focus on young people's experiences with public services. This research was undertaken during an unprecedented global pandemic, but also in a broader context where for the last few decades young people have been following increasingly complex, non-linear, and uncertain pathways towards adulthood. Today’s young people navigate combined stresses of education, employment, housing, and relationships, and public services are essential to support young people during these transitions. Work can be done to improve how young people enter, transition between, and exit services, to empower them on their paths into adulthood. Young people were keen to participate, and from March to September 2020, our study involved: 47 focus groups with 155 young adults from around Australia, aged 18-30. 2,261 responses to a national survey of young adults, aged 18-30. 30,000 social media posts, collected from Twitter, Reddit and Whirlpool. Our findings highlight nine focus areas where there is room for the APS to improve service-delivery to young Australians: Young people want to learn more about public services, so they are better prepared to engage with them. The quality of outcomes for young people - and the level of compliance for the APS - depends upon the level and reliability of information they receive. Information about services isn’t gathered from a single, APS source. Young people feel services could communicate better to avoid misinformed expectations about service interactions. Young people value digital services but can find them depersonalising. This can leave young people feeling like they are invisible and can see them look for assistance to interpret information. Young people want flexible service touchpoints. Along with digital options, they want the flexibility to engage on more complex issues – online, by phone, and in-person. Young people’s knowledge and experience of the APS varies by social characteristics and cultural background. This can lead some young people to feel services don’t speak to them, leading to confusion or disengagement with services. Young people who need consistent support report initial and ongoing barriers. This can lead to some vulnerable young people feeling disenfranchised and isolated – negatively impacting service interactions and outcomes. Young people report mixed experiences with third-party service providers. Because of this, young people have less confidence in service programs and are less likely to fully engage. Young people report stigma as a barrier to service engagement. As a result, young people may wait until they are in crisis before seeking support from services, or not may not access services at all. Young people feel mental health needs greater recognition. Without acknowledgement or awareness of the mental health pathways available, young people are less likely to engage with and trust services, delaying access to mental health support. This research was conducted with funding from Australian public services and was primarily intended for use by Australian public services to improve services for young people. The report was made publically available in 2022. For additional information about this report, contact trustandtransparency@pmc.gov.au. Suggested citation: Robards, B., Roberts, S., Lyall, B., Neves, B. B., Ghazarian, Z., Smith, J., Laughland-Booÿ, J., Trott, V., Lindsay, J., De Lazzari, C., Ulbrick, M., Hewitt, S., Marple, P., Lukamto, W., & Jones, C. (2020). Young adults’ experience with Australian public services: Final report. Monash University. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26180/15139101.

Presentation slides from launch of discussion paper 'Life, Disrupted: Young people, education and employment before and after COVID-19'

Presented at Digital Intimacies 4 with Dr Brady Robards December 5, 2018. Curtin University, Perth.