Assistant Principal's Page

SOCIAL MEDIA UNDER THE AGE OF 13

Dear Parents and Carers, 

As part of our shared commitment to the safety and wellbeing of our students, I wanted to take a moment to address an important topic: the use of social media by children under the age of 13.

Many popular social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok, have age restrictions that require users to be at least 13 years old. These restrictions are in place to protect children from risks such as exposure to inappropriate content, online predators, cyberbullying, and the potential negative impact of social media on mental health and self-esteem.

As a Catholic school, we are guided by our mission to honour the dignity of every child and to nurture their holistic growth—spiritual, emotional, social, and intellectual. Social media use at too young an age can interfere with this development and expose children to pressures they may not yet be equipped to handle. We encourage all parents and carers to work with us in ensuring that children under 13 are not permitted to access social media platforms. 

Sadly, this is an issue I deal with daily in my role as Assistant Principal. It terrifies me what I know what some of our students are watching online. I have also seen several screenshots of conversations between students and strangers that concern me greatly. 

Please see the link below for webinars for parents so that together, we can help our children develop healthy relationships with technology and protect their innocence during these formative years.

If you have any questions or need further guidance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to myself or to our School Police Liason Officer (Jane Heffernan).

 Thank you for your continued partnership in fostering a safe and nurturing environment for our students.