A ground-breaking social media summit must consider what mental health impacts will flow if kids are banned from platforms, advocates say.

A two-day, jointly hosted summit between the NSW and South Australian governments starts in Sydney on Thursday, when discussions are expected to focus on the details of the youth ban rather than whether it will be introduced.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and a host of state leaders – including NSW Premier Chris Minns and SA Premier Peter Malinauskas – have backed an age limit but are yet to disclose where the cut-off should be set.

Youth mental health organisation ReachOut warned removing social media would block access to what has become a key support for a younger generation.

Its research, based on a survey of more than 2000 people aged 16 to 25, found nearly three-quarters routinely relied on social media platforms for mental health support.

More than half of those surveyed with probable mental health conditions said they turned to social platforms for help because of a lack of access to professional treatment.

“The NSW Social Media Summit is an important time to discuss the variety of measures that can improve the safety of young people on social media platforms,” ReachOut chief executive Gary Groves told AAP.

“New research from ReachOut shows young people are using social media to access free mental health information available around the clock … it’s vital to discuss what other mental health supports will be provided if social media bans are introduced.”

The organisation has not been invited to participate in panels at the summit, which will feature a keynote address from Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen.

She quit the company in 2021 and revealed documents showing the social media giant was more concerned with profits than user safety.

Ms Haugen said a minimum age of about 14 or 15 was a good idea.

“To safely use social media you have to do something very complicated, something that even adults really struggle with … understand what you’re seeing is not representative,” she told ABC radio on Wednesday.

“It’s a slice of people’s lives; people put up the best parts of their lives, not the worst parts.”

The prime minister has written to state and territory leaders for input on how an age ban on social media could be implemented, along with their preference for the limit and how parental consent could be included.

The leaders were also asked to consider whether young people with existing social media accounts would be exempt from any future ban.

The summit will shift to Adelaide on Friday.

Lifeline 13 11 14

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

beyondblue 1300 22 4636

This post was originally published on Michael West.