Founder of FINCH, Rob Galluzzo, has teamed up with Nova Sydney Breakfast presenter Michael 'Wippa' Wipfli to launch a social change movement calling on the Federal Government to raise the minimum age at which Australian teenagers can sign up for social media accounts from 13 to 16.

The movement, '36 Months', is based on research highlighting the impact of social media on the critical phase of psychological development, particularly the 36 months between ages 13-16. According to the campaign, 92% of Australian teens aged 15-16 years, 59% aged 11-12, and 29% aged 9-10 use social media.

"Families I speak with across Australia daily reveal serious, grave concerns for their teenagers due to the effects of social media. We're raising an anxious generation. We want our kids to discover themselves, before the world discovers them." said Wipfli.

In it's initial phase, the 36 Months campaign is lobbying for changes to Federal policy that would delay social media access for teenagers until they reach the age of 16. Stage 2 of 36 Months is aimed at offering families and educators ideas and initiatives that enable them to better connect with teens.

"As parents, we want to give our kids the best shot at becoming resilient and independent adults. The prevalent issue of excessive social media use contributing to heightened anxiety among teenagers is a growing concern for many parents and educators. The aim of 36 Months is to provide a safer environment where kids can foster a secure identity and healthy emotional development by raising the threshold of social media citizenship," said Galluzzo.

The campaign has recruited key figures across entertainment, education, and politics, including author and parenting expert Maggie Dent, former Premier of NSW and Member for Epping, Dominic Perrottet, and media personality Hamish Blake.

"While tech companies continue to make profits off social media despite the strong evidence of the harm they are causing, we need a collective effort to protect our kids and a ban is one step that can help," said Dent.

"36 Months is the beginning of a crucial movement in prioritising the wellbeing of our adolescents. By advocating for a policy shift to delay social media access until the age of 16, we are taking a significant step towards safeguarding the mental and emotional development of our youth – now and in the future," said Perrottet.

The 36 Months movement is calling on families, community leaders, and educators to sign a change.org petition that will be taken to parliament.