Wellbeing

Swimming between the digital flags: helping young Australians navigate social media’s dangerous currents

The relationship between social media and children’s mental health is one of the most important conversations of our time. That's why, from mid-December, the Australian Government will require certain social media services to take steps to prevent under 16s from having accounts. 

This week, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant outlined how Australia plans to take this bold action forward, in a speech delivered at the National Press Club. 

Here's what parents need to know right now: 

1. It’s not a ban, it’s a delay. We’re giving kids more time to build digital skills and resilience before facing the pressures of social media.   
2. The responsibility lies with the platform. There are no penalties for children or parents—only for platforms that fail to take reasonable steps to prevent under 16s from having accounts.   
3. You’re not alone. eSafety offers trusted resources for parents and carers, educators, young people and kids. We’ve got the flags, the swimming lessons, and the safety tips to help you support your kids. And our protective powers in areas such as cyberbullying and image-based abuse will still be there to help if things go wrong.  

Australia is building a culture of online safety—just like we’ve done on our beaches. Because the internet, like the ocean, is not going away – and our kids are already dipping their toes in. To stay up to date on social media age restrictions, visit eSafety.gov.au.

Watch the Commissioner's message here

Life Education Victoria coming soon to OLA!

Life Ed Victoria is an impactful preventative health organisation who provide vital life skills for children. Each class will experience a Health and Wellbeing Session

that offers curriculum aligned lessons that gives students the smarts to deal with the hard stuff.  Explore our online webinars designed to give you an inside look the school incursion sessions. Each session walks you through what your child will experience, and how we help kids build the skills and confidence to navigate life's challenges.

Look at for more information to come via Operoo and the specific session your child will participate in. 

Prep and Grade One

Grade Two

Grade Three/Four

Grade Five/Six

Occupational Therapy

We have no waitlist for Occupational Therapy services!

We can support you with the below supports:

• Therapeutic Interventions
• Functional Capacity Assessments & Reports
• Assistive Technology Recommendations
• Home Modifications
• And much more, reach out today to find out how we can support you!

We can service the Bayside, South, South-East and Eastern Metro Melbourne areas, and can also offer telehealth supports nationally!

We have attached a flyer for your reference and further details regarding our services. You can also check out our website here: moira.org.au/arliam/

CoolKid Psychology

PSYCHOLOGISTS WITH IMMEDIATE AVAILABILITY 

CoolKid Psychology is a private clinic located in Black Rock, dedicated to supporting children, adolescents, parents, and families. Our clinic provides a comprehensive range of services, including therapy and assessments for a variety of presentations such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, Autism, learning difficulties, and behavioural differences and challenges, such as Pathological Demand Avoidance.

We are pleased to let you know we are currently accepting new clients. We have immediate availability for therapy and assessment services with our experienced psychologists. We also offer telehealth services, making our support easily accessible to families. Our skilled client support team spends time with new clients to thoroughly understand their current needs to ensure they are matched with the clinician best suited to help achieve their goals. 

Josy Reeder

Learning Diversity and Student Wellbeing Leader