Wellbeing

Social media changes are coming

With new online safety laws coming into effect on 10 December, now is a great time for families to talk with their children about how to stay safe online. There is a lot of discussion in the community and among students about these changes, and it helps to remind children that this is not a ban. It is a delay to having social media accounts so children are better protected from pressures and risks they are not ready for.

At school, students learn about online safety every term through the Inform and Empower program. Each unit explores a different topic, and parent information sheets have been included in previous newsletters to help continue these conversations at home.

The eSafety Commissioner website is an excellent resource for families. It offers simple explanations of the upcoming social media age restrictions, along with tools that support safe and healthy tech use. A few key points from eSafety:

From 10 December 2025, certain social media platforms will not be allowed to let children under 16 create or keep an account.
This is to limit the risks that come from being logged in, such as increased screen time and exposure to harmful content.
Children under 16 will still be able to view public content that does not require an account.
Families can also access ready made tech agreements to use with children, including age appropriate options for ages 5 to 8.

If you would like to learn more, visit the eSafety Commissioner’s website. It is full of practical guides, resources and conversation starters for both children and adults. Keeping our children safe online starts with open, calm and regular conversations at home.

Age-restricted platforms won’t be allowed to let under-16s create or keep an account. That’s because being logged into an account increases the likelihood that they’ll be exposed to pressures and risks that can be hard to deal with. These come from social media platform design features that encourage them to spend more time on screens, while also serving up content that can harm their health and wellbeing.

From 10 December 2025, certain social media platforms won’t be allowed to let Australian children under 16 create or keep an account.

What you need to know:

The age restrictions are likely to apply to Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X and YouTube, among other platforms.
Most standalone gaming and messaging apps, as well as many services that support health and education, will not be affected by the new law.
Children under 16 will still be able to see publicly available social media content that doesn’t require logging into an account.

Find out more at eSafety’s social media age restrictions hub.

Family tech agreements

A family tech agreement is a set of rules about how devices, like smartphones, tablets, computers, TVs and gaming consoles are used in your home.

Start the chat with your family and develop an agreement that will suit the age and needs of your children.

Create an agreement with 5-8 year olds

These guidelines are designed for children aged 5 to 8 years. Creating a family agreement together at this age will help you to have a smoother time with technology in your child's late primary and early secondary school years.

Talking with your child about tech rules will develop their digital intelligence and build good habits around technology.

Create your own family tech agreement that you can print out and display. Just download the PDF file, which includes the poster and discussion points.