Digital Technologies News

Social Media Age Restrictions Are Changing

As you may be aware yesterday there were some important changes to social media age restrictions in Australia. The Australian Government has introduced new laws that mean many major social media platforms will no longer allow children under the age of 16 to hold their own accounts. These changes are designed to help protect young people from risks associated with social media, including features that encourage long periods of use, constant notifications, and content that can affect wellbeing.

We know that many families currently allow their children to use social media, and these changes may mean taking some time to review your child's online use. The updated guidelines are not a ban on young people going online, but rather a delay in when they can officially have their own accounts. In some cases, children may still be able to view content while logged out, but they will not be able to sign in or create profiles if they are under the new age requirement.

This is a great opportunity to have conversations at home about online safety, responsible digital habits, and how your family wants to approach technology moving forward. The eSafety Commissioner has created a range of helpful resources to support parents and carers. You can read more about the changes HERE.

To support families further, we encourage you to watch this short video from Inform and Empower with your child:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvHZNe1crDE

The video explains the changes in a student-friendly way and can help guide a positive and open conversation about what these new rules mean for your child.

As a school, we are committed to supporting families as these changes take effect and to helping our students use technology in healthy, safe, and age-appropriate ways. If you would like more information or further support, please feel free to reach out.

Lucas Mangani

Digital Technologies  Leader