Body image concerns as teens seek health advice online

Teenagers risk being exposed to misinformation and harmful body image content as they turn to social media for health information.

Research published by The Royal Children's Hospital on Wednesday found that while two-thirds of teens get health guidance from social media, more than a third wished their bodies were different after viewing content.

Fitness and diet are among the most popular topics being accessed by teenagers on the platforms.

Year 9 student Willow told AAP social media can be a harmful place as it applies pressure for young people to fit certain societal standards of beauty and body image.

She said health and wellness treatments such sun tanning were widely discussed among friends at school and on social media, making them hard to avoid.

"Recently I've seen (content) romanticising tan lines," she said.

"It's probably not the best thing for young skin or those more prone to melanoma."

The National Child Health Poll surveyed more than 1400 Australian parents, and one of their children aged between 12 and 17 years old.

It found that many teens make health decisions based on social media content, with more than a third having tried or considered something new after seeing it online.

Willow said she had seen peers trying trends like switching to retinol in their skincare routines, which isn't recommended for young people.

Almost all young people aged 12 to 17 years use social media, with three quarters reporting it hard to know what is true and untrue.

Pediatrician and director of the National Child Health Poll Anthea Rhodes said it was critical teens questioned what they saw online and learned how to find trustworthy health information.

"They're being presented with huge amount of content that's often quite persuasive. It may be emotive and engaging and offers solutions or advice to common challenges that we know teenagers face," she told AAP.

"This really leaves them quite vulnerable to being misled."

From December, people under 16 will no longer be able to create accounts on social media platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook ,TikTok and YouTube.

The study found that 86 per cent of teens and parents interviewed believed children under 16 years will still find ways to access social media once the regulation is introduced.

'Young people are still faced with a huge amount of information to navigate once they do hit 16 and can legally enter that social media space," Dr Rhodes said.

Lifeline 13 11 14

Butterfly Foundation 1800 334 673

Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25)