Social media is well and truly integrated into our daily lives. It has changed the way we interact and has enabled connections and created opportunities with people across the world. It allows us to share our lives with our family and friends, has likely brought us joy and made us laugh, and may even have inspired us to try new things. Over time, it has also become evident that there are a number of downsides to social media use, both for adults and for children. These include impacts on our relationships with others, on our ability to focus and pay attention, as well as on our mental and physical health.
These impacts led the Australian Parliament to pass the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 late last year. The new rules, which state that individuals’ social media platforms must take reasonable steps to prevent under 16s from having a social media account, come into effect on 10 December 2025. For further information related to this legislation, please access this factsheet- Australian Government – Social Media minimum age fact sheet.
The legislation aims to protect those who are under 16 from pressures and risks they can be exposed to while using social media. The eSafety Commission explains that these come from design features in the platforms that:
- Encourage them to spend too much time on screens – for example, by prompting them with “streaks” or streams of notifications and alerts, and pressuring them to view disappearing content
- Increase the likelihood of exposure to negative, upsetting or manipulative content served up in their feeds by algorithms
This pressure to respond to constant notifications and alerts has been linked to negative impacts on our health including reduced sleep and attention, increased stress levels as well as reduced physical activity. While we are still learning about social media’s influence on people’s wellbeing, we also know it can play a role in anxiety, depression and low self-esteem.
Understandably, these changes may bring up a range of emotions for students. There may be feelings of anger, frustration, worry about missing out, and confusion as to why the changes are occurring. We encourage you to prepare for this change in advance to minimise the impact your daughter may experience, noting this may be a significant shift for them in their life. With the range of information available, and widespread reporting in the media on the topic, accessing reliable sources to inform you in this preparation is important – we have included links to evidenced based resources accordingly that have provided tips to help navigate the new rules:
- Have a conversation with your child and ask how they are feeling about the changes – for tips on how to start this, see Conversation Starters from the eSafety Commission
- Be open to the way they are feeling and try not to minimise this, even if you don’t agree
- Be mindful of the language you use when talking about the changes, e.g. consider using words such as ‘delay’ rather than ‘ban’. Highlight the positives of the change, as well as the opportunities that may come from it, e.g. more time to focus on a new hobby or goal
- Encourage your child to think of ways they can still stay connected to their friends, e.g. in person or through age-appropriate messaging apps
- Explore the information available on the changes together, noting that this is an evolving situation so use trusted sources only:
For parents:
- eSafety Commissioner – Frequently Asked Questions
- Raising Children – Frequently Asked Questions
- eSafety Commissioner – Get Ready Guide for Parents and Carers
- eSafety Commissioner – Get Ready Action Plan for parents and carers
- eSafety Commissioner Webinars
- Beyond Blue – Social Media and Mental Health
- Headspace – Supporting a young person
For young people:
- Headspace – information for young people
- eSafety Commissioner – Tools for young people
- eSafety Commissioner – Get Ready Guide
- eSafety Commissioner – Get Ready Action Plan for under 16s
- If your child is already using a platform that will become age-restricted under the new law, discuss how to transition away or how to use the time in a meaningful way (e.g., exploring other uses of the internet, building skills, engaging in creative projects offline as well as online)
- Help them save their digital memories
- Start reducing your social media use together and model/encourage offline activities
We all play a vital role in guiding your child’s engagement with the digital world. The view of the government is that the social media delay will provide under-16’s with the time to:
- Build digital literacy
- Develop maturity, impulse control and critical reasoning
- Build emotional resilience
- Learn about social media’s benefits and risks and develop healthy habits with technology
- Understand the importance of reaching out for help if things go wrong
These legislative changes offer a natural opportunity for conversations in your family about the online world, how to engage with it responsibly and how it could affect mental health and wellbeing. This will support our continued education in school, delivered through our #EMPOWHER program, Health lessons, and the Digital Technology curriculum to support our young people in becoming responsible digital citizens who can navigate the online world safely.
Emma Smerdon
Head of Middle School
Emily Small
School Psychologist