A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
How new legislation and expert insights are reshaping online safety for young Australians In 2024, the Australian Government made headlines by announcing its intent to raise the minimum age for access to major social media platforms. The reforms would restrict young people’s access to platforms including TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat until the age of 16 [...]
Download article as a PDF Checking in again from 2040. When technology finally learned to talk to itself, the result wasn’t just incremental change—it was a fundamental shift. The rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) didn’t just mean more connected devices; it meant systems that worked together in ways we hadn’t anticipated. Across [...]
Brian N. Chin, Trinity College “Avoid screens before bed” is one of the most common pieces of sleep advice. But what if the real problem isn’t screen time − it’s the way we use social media at night? Sleep deprivation is one of the most widespread yet overlooked public health issues, especially among young adults [...]
Michael Freeman, Bond University Social media is full of claims that everyday habits can harm your skin. It’s also full of recommendations or advertisements for products that can protect you. Now social media has blue light from our devices in its sights. So can scrolling on our phones really damage your skin? And will applying [...]
Download article as a PDF Greetings from 2040. The world’s accelerating rate of change has reshaped everything—including education. In the early days, we struggled to keep up. The enthusiasm of teachers, while admirable, risked burning them out as they tried to stay ahead of each new wave of innovation. No one wanted a return [...]
Taylor Hardwick, University of Sydney and Marcus Carter, University of Sydney Roblox is one of the world’s most popular online platforms for children, offering a variety of “experiences” including games and virtual spaces. Most of the experiences are free, but offer upgrades, bonuses and random items in exchange for cash. What do kids make of [...]
Jacquelyn Harverson, Deakin University; Louise Paatsch, Deakin University, and Sharon Horwood, Deakin University Once upon a time, children fought for control of the remote to the sole family television. Now the choice of screen-based content available to kids seems endless. There are computers, tablets, phones and gaming consoles offering streaming services, online content and apps. [...]
Jessica Kruk, The University of Western Australia and Lauren Gawne, La Trobe University Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham’s crime drama Adolescence has earned widespread praise for its portrayal of incel culture and male violence. But the show’s portrayal of 13-year-old Jamie (Owen Cooper) being radicalised by misogynistic online content has a lot of parents concerned [...]
Yeslam Al-Saggaf, Charles Sturt University and Julie Maclean, Charles Sturt University Most Australian teenagers have their own smartphone. According to a 2023 survey, 91% of young people between 14 and 17 owned a phone. At the same time, there is huge community concern about young people being exposed to harms online – this includes the [...]
Judith Ireland, The Conversation and Matt Garrow, The Conversation The Albanese government has announced it will introduce a social media ban for children. The government has not yet nominated a minimum age but is trialling age-assurance mechanisms for those aged 13–16. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the legislation will be introduced this year. This follows [...]
