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Be Your Child’s Best Tech Guard: Free Online Safety Webinars for Families

Do you sometimes wonder what your children are actually doing on their devices? Not sure how to limit what they can see, how long they spend online, or who they’re talking to? You’re not alone. Technology changes quickly and keeping up can feel overwhelming.

The eSafety Commissioner, the Australian Government’s online safety regulator, is running free, live webinars for parents and carers this term. Each session is about 45 minutes and full of practical advice you can use at home straight away.

Check out the upcoming sessions:

 Understanding and using parental controls to help protect your child online

📅 Thursday 22 October, 12:30pm (AEDT), which is next week!

If you only attend one session this term, make it this one. You’ll learn:

• which parental controls are available on your family’s devices
• how controls can help stop children from seeing harmful content
• how to use them alongside other online safety strategies, so your child also builds their own good judgement

Suitable for parents and carers of children and teens in primary and secondary school.

Exploring the online experiences of boys and young men📅 Wednesday 28 October, 12:30–1:15pm (AEDT)

This session covers the influences shaping boys online, including social media, gaming and influencers, and how to start open conversations that help them navigate the online world safely and respectfully.  

Suitable for parents and carers of upper primary and secondary.

Navigating screen time: tools for today’s families📅 Wednesday 11 November, 12:30pm (AEDT)Learn what quality screen time looks like and how to build balanced family routines. You’ll also get ideas for managing boredom and transitions away from screens.

Suitable for parents and carers of primary and lower secondary.

How AI is influencing new online risks for children and young people📅 Thursday 19 November, 12:30pm (AEDT)

Find out about AI chatbots, deepfakes and AI influencers, and what to do if something goes wrong.

Suitable for parents and carers of primary and secondary.

Supporting healthy tech use as your child transitions into secondary school📅 Tuesday 24 November, 12:30pm (AEDT)

This session covers online social pressures, building digital resilience, and how to talk with your child about what they see and do online.

Suitable for parents and carers of upper primary (ages 11–12) and Year 7. Highly recommended for our Year 6 families.

How connection and belonging shapes children and young people’s vulnerability online📅 Wednesday 2 December, 12:30pm (AEDT)

Learn why some young people are more at risk online and get strategies to support safer online engagement.

Suitable for parents and carers of primary and secondary.

Special series: 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence

• Risks and rewards of online communities: the experiences of girls and young women: Thursday 3 December, 12:00pm (AEDT)
• Recognising online coercive control in young people’s lives: Tuesday 8 December, 1:00pm (AEDT)

• The deepfake threat impacting girls and women: from awareness to action: Wednesday 9 December, 1:30pm (AEDT)

   

How to register

All sessions are free and held online. Places can fill quickly, so register early at esafety.gov.au/parents/webinars.

Being a “tech guard” doesn’t mean being a tech expert. It means staying curious, keeping the conversation open and having the right tools in place. These sessions are a great place to start.