Olivia Evans was just 15 when she took her own life… her heartbroken father has revealed the tragic Google searches she made in her final days

A teenager suffering from anorexia googled how few calories she could eat per day to survive before she tragically committed suicide.

Victorian father Robb Evans said his daughter Liv's battle with her eating disorder was sparked by schoolyard bullies and fuelled by social media before she died in April last year.

“The claws were so deep that she couldn't see any place to recover,” he said of his 15-year-old daughter, who was holding her urn under his right arm.

While he is still unsure of what substances his daughter was exposed to, the posts she showed him without hesitation also included advice on hiding illnesses with water and clothing.

“It became even more ominous when you wondered how few calories you could consume per day to survive,” he said.

“She was looking for this content and was then presented with more and more of it.”

Despite his grief, Mr Evans has thrown all his energy into a campaign to force teenagers under 16 to avoid social media.

Mr Evans had previously told Channel Nine's 60 Minutes that social media giant Instagram had abused his daughter, “whether intentionally or not”.

Victorian father Robb Evans speaks out after the death of his daughter Liv in April last year

“People who say, 'I'm healthy and I live on 200 calories a day,'” Evans said on the show

“I said, 'Liv, you're lying.'”

“I said, 'You have to understand that these people may say they are healthy,' but I said, 'They can't survive on 200 calories a day, and this is why.'”

Meta and TikTok allow access to their platforms for children aged 13 and over, but age verification is not easy on either platform.

The 36 Months campaign, co-led by media star Michael “Wippa” Wipfli, has also received support from comedian Hamish Blake, Hollywood actress Tahyna MacManus, as well as from the business, academic and parent communities.

A petition signed by 110,000 people was presented to the New South Wales Parliament on Wednesday.

Even if the platforms do not implement a “very simple” technical method of age verification, introducing a legal minimum age limit would give young teenagers the opportunity to stay away from age restrictions and give parents the ability to enforce bans, advocates say.

Liv Evans was exposed to disturbing information on social media platforms during her battle with an eating disorder

Wipfli denied launching an attack on social media and said Australia needed to recognise that young children were more vulnerable to doomscrolling and other key features of Instagram and TikTok.

“We need it (the change) now – the children are at their limit, so we have no time to lose,” said Wipfli.

Eating disorder experts say teenagers need more time to develop without the influence of social media and are calling for a ban on under-16s, among other changes.

“The teenage years are the age at which eating disorders most commonly occur in Australia,” the Australia and New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders said in a federal survey.

“By looping content that reinforces beauty ideals, eating control, etc., the algorithm may amplify the challenges associated with developing an eating disorder and seeking treatment and recovery.”

Instagram's parent company says it spent more than $5 billion ($7.5 billion Australian dollars) on security last year alone.

Teens searching for content about eating disorders or body image issues will now see a pop-up with tips and an easy way to connect with support organizations like the Butterfly Foundation.

“We have developed our approach to eating disorder content in consultation with experts from around the world and continue to review and update it,” Meta said in response to a social media request from the federal government.

Mr Evans said quiet children like his daughter needed to be protected

Age verification for online alcohol purchases has been trialled in NSW, and the government there has indicated it may conduct similar pilots for social media.

A government-organized summit in October aims to produce innovative solutions to the challenges of social media.

Mr Evans said quiet children like his daughter needed to be protected.

“She was so loving and kind, very creative, loved animals and never had a bad word to say about anyone,” he said.

“Of course I miss her every day.”

Due to this global crisis, politicians in the US state of Florida are calling for teenagers under 14 to be banned from accessing social media. 15- and 16-year-olds will need their parents' consent to do so.

Texas also recently passed a law requiring parental consent before a user under 18 can open an account.

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland says the Australian government will closely monitor how these bans work and whether they are effective.

South Australia had previously decided to ban social media for children under 14 years of age.

The state government has appointed former High Court Chief Justice Robert French to conduct a legal review of the blocking of children's accounts.

Mr French will examine what regulatory and technological “paths” the Government could take to enforce a ban.

Government policy also requires parental consent for children aged 14 and 15.

Meanwhile, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns announced a summit in October “to address the increasing harm that online platforms are causing to children and young people.”

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said the government takes children's mental health seriously.

Lifeline 13 11 14

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

Butterfly Foundation 1800 334 673