Deputy Principal

Changes to Social Media Laws for Under 16’s

This week’s news article is to learn about the new social media changes, why they matter for the wellbeing of our girls, and how schools and families can work together to create safe and healthy online habits.

On the 10th December 2025, social media companies will be required to take reasonable steps to prevent young people from creating and/or maintaining accounts. These new Australian government regulations have been designed to support healthier digital habits and protect developing minds from the risks associated with social media exposure. This change encourages children to access platforms when they are emotionally ready and developmentally prepared to manage this experience. They are good reasons. 

It is important to note that it is a safeguard and delay.  It is not a ban, and this is useful language when talking with your daughters about this change.

Please also know that the responsibility will sit with the companies, not young people or families. The platforms include TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube and X.

Social media platforms must verify a user’s age before allowing an account to be set up. Naturally, as is already the case with some of these platforms, some content may still be able to be viewed without logging in.

It Matters.  This is Why.

Social media has played a major role in the lives of young people. Adults too. While the capacity to connect with others is important, there is enough credible evidence to link anxiety, disrupted sleep, distraction, and low self-esteem with unsupervised or heavy use. It is our hope, and that of the creators of these laws, that this change will allow our young people to:

• Strengthen face-to-face relationships
• Build capacity, space and time for emotional regulation and critical thinking
• Build resilience to judgement, comparison and minimise exposure to cyberbullying
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Reducing exposure to social media platforms in these early adolescent years will support better concentration, better sleep hygiene and an improvement to overall wellbeing. 

Wellbeing Benefits for our Girls

Delaying the ability to hold a social media account can help with:

• A healthier self-image with reduced exposure to unrealistic standards
• Greater focus when learning or when engaging in an activity
• A firmer understanding of boundaries, consent and privacy by the time our young people reach 16.

It Takes a Village. How Parents Can Help: 

• Do talk openly with your daughter about these changes and why it is a delay and not a ban
• Do consider the whole family reviewing their online habits and especially so at bedtime
• Encourage a range of activities like sport, music, volunteering, reading and other activities that require our young people to step away from screens and discover the physical world around them
• Do not look for ways for your daughter to find a work-around with the platforms to allow an account to continue. This delay is based on credible research for the wellbeing of young people
• Seek support if your daughter is struggling or experiencing isolation from this delay
• ALWAYS use trusted resources to find out more information.  The sites we like include the Office of the ESafety Commissioner Social Media Minimum Age campaign | eSafety Commissionerand Mount Alvernia College’s SchoolTV resources that are provided with the expertise of practitioners including  Dr Michael Carr-Gregg.  SPECIAL REPORT: New Social Media Regulations | Mount Alvernia College

How Mount Alvernia College Will Help

• We will continue to include classroom discussions through our Personal Best Programs for digital wellbeing and online safety as we have been doing for some years now
• Roll out of The Human Edge campaign across all year levels in 2026 to ensure our young people are using technology safely and ethically

• Ensure our Educational Wellbeing Tile on MyMtA has credible resources for our young people to access, to find out more about the delay and managing their wellbeing  MyMtA - Educational Wellbeing

   

Does your daughter still have her Student ID Card? It may help with student discount over the holidays. 

With an expectation that our students will be engaging in more ‘real life’ experiences over these holidays, student concession makes this more affordable. Many venues require to sight a student ID card to offer concession.  If your daughter needs a new ID card, they can be ordered over the phone ($10) and printed the same day for collection from Student Services. This service is available until Friday 28th November.

Every blessing,

Michelle Licina

Deputy Principal - Student Development and Wellbeing