Wellbeing

Sleep and the Teenage Brain

Sleep is critical for brain development, emotional regulation, memory, and learning. Adolescents often experience shifts in sleep patterns due to biological changes, combined with homework, socialising, and screen use, which can lead to chronic sleep deprivation. Poor sleep affects mood, attention, and academic performance, while increasing stress and risk-taking behaviours. Supporting teens to prioritise sleep improves both wellbeing and learning outcomes.

What parents can do:

• Establish a consistent bedtime and wake-up schedule, even on weekends
• Limit screen exposure for at least 30–60 minutes before bed, e.g., reading a book instead of scrolling Instagram. No phones in bedrooms
• Create a calm sleep environment: cool, dark, and quiet
• Model healthy sleep behaviour by sharing your own bedtime routine
• Move your body in some way every day.

What students can do:

• Stick to a regular bedtime, even if it feels tempting to stay up late
• Avoid caffeine or energy drinks in the afternoon and evening
• Engage in calming activities before bed, such as journaling, gentle stretching or reading a book
• Track sleep patterns to notice what routines help you feel rested

Learn more:https://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/teens-and-sleep.html

Social Media platforms on notice

From mid-December, eSafety has been monitoring age-restricted platforms to assess how they are complying with their obligations to prevent under-16s from having accounts. It is clear the restrictions are already having an impact. Based on information gathered through legally enforceable notices, many platforms have removed, deactivated or restricted a large number of under‑age accounts. 

However, based on the information gathered, including through submissions from the public, field research with parents and carers and engagement with key stakeholders, children under 16 continue to retain accounts, create new ones, or pass platforms’ age checks.

Because of these concerns, eSafety is now focusing its investigations on five major platforms - Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube. These platforms have been notified about our concerns and expectations for improvement and warned eSafety will take enforcement action if they fail to take reasonable steps to prevent systemic failures that allow children under 16 from having accounts on their service.  

Major reforms like this take time – not just to embed, but to spark a broader cultural shift in how industry designs services to keep children safer online.  It won’t happen overnight, and although we can see some progress has been made, it's clear there's still a way to go.   

This update explains what eSafety has learned so far since the legislation took effect on 10 December 2025. We will continue to provide transparency where we can while protecting the integrity of our ongoing regulatory processes and provide relevant up-to-date information for the community, including children and young people, parents and carers and educators at our social media age restrictions hub. 

eSafety remains committed to holding platforms accountable, and ensuring these restrictions deliver real change for Australian families.