Social Media Ban - An eSafety Update

Find out the facts about the social media age restrictions that will help keep Australians under 16 safer. 

Preparing Children for the Social Media Ban in December

By Dr Craig Wattam, Principal, St John Paul II College, ACT

St John Paul II College is a secondary school in the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn. More than one hundred college students were engaged in the age-assurance technology trial where various forms of identification were put to the test, including facial recognition software.

In this article from the school’s newsletter in Week 4, Term 3, Dr Wattam suggests ways parents can begin to plan for and discuss with their children how the social media ban will impact them.

‘By now I am sure you are aware of the pending legislation due to come into effect in December this year, precluding all children under the age of 16 from holding a social media account. The current plan by the government – though not without some contention – is to include YouTube in the mix. …

‘Regarding of one’s personal views on the subject, the fact remains that families will have a task ahead of them in navigating their child’s responses to this new legislation. For some students, it will mean very little. However, for many teens especially, it may come with some sense of loss, and even grief. My estimation is that some adolescents may feel that their connection, communication and some forms of social outlet have been unfairly ripped from them. Perhaps for some students it may well be accompanied by a sense of anxiety.

‘I raise this now, months ahead of the December deadline, to gently suggest that the time to start planning for and discussing with your children, and what this will mean for them, is now. It might be instructive to have conversations about some of the following:

1. How we connect with (and feel connected to) our peers other than through social media.
2. What other forms of social outlet might be employed in real time, with real people.
3. If it is not part of your family routine, re-establishing a dinner time routine with all family members at the dinner table, which is a phone-free zone.
4. Encouragement of outdoor activities including sports, running, walking, a trip to the park, bike riding and so on.
5. Inviting children/adolescents to play board games, cards, play a musical instrument.
6. Becoming a “joiner” – join a group of some sort in the community, including volunteering. Vinnies is always looking for volunteers either in-store or in the warehouse.
7. Managing those times where we feel the “loss” of opportunity that social media presented. For a small number of young people, this could look like withdrawal from an addictive substance.
8. The ways in which some young people may attempt to subvert or circumvent the legislation. Adolescents are creative and industrious!

‘No doubt there will be teething issues with the legislation, and I accept that for many young people, they use social media as a form of communication and even as a pastime. If we can encourage and build alternatives now, it may smooth the way somewhat come December. Understanding our children’s online behaviour, including the number of hours they spend engaging with social media, may go some way to getting an insight into the degree to which this will be an issue, or not, for your child.

‘Sustaining, life-giving relationships, are always best served through getting to know someone over time, in real time, and in real life. If we think of our own friendship groups as adults, these are mostly nourished by wasting time with each other, investing in the lives of the other, and holding a genuine concern and interest in what happens to them. Online encounters will never trump this.’

Vaping Prevention Program for Schools

On 13 August, CCSP attended the launch of the OurFutures Vaping Prevention Program and release of evidence at the Chau Chak Wing Museum (University of Sydney). The Federal Government is providing funding for all secondary schools across Australia to access the institute's student vaping prevention program, as part of the national initiative to combat substantial increases in youth vaping rates. The Year 7/8 vaping prevention module, which aligns with the National HPE curriculum and is currently Australia's most evidence-based vaping program, is now available for free to every High School in Australia until mid-2028. 

The event formally launched the OurFutures Institute Vaping Prevention Program nationally and released landmark research findings from the original trial demonstrating its proven efficacy in reducing vaping behaviours and improving student knowledge, attitudes and skills. As Australia’s first school-based digital program shown to reduce vaping, this is a pivotal milestone for adolescent health.

Adolescent vaping and tobacco use is a concerning issue for schools around the world. This innovative vaping education program for high school students uses a social influence and harm-minimisation prevention approach across four lessons, each featuring:

• A realistic and engaging illustrated cartoon story.
• Activities, including class discussion prompts, role plays, quizzes, and worksheets.
• Summary sheets to reinforce key content.
• Teacher resources to support delivery.

Schools can sign up for this free program here:

Social Media Age Restrictions – Update

Social media age restrictions for Australians under the age of 16 are due to take effect by 11 December 2025. The social media minimum age obligations will be implemented in line with the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024. The new law requires age-restricted social media platforms to take ‘reasonable steps’ to prevent children under 16 from having an account.

The eSafety Commissioner is currently conducting a consultation process with multiple stakeholders and this consultation will inform the development of guidelines about those reasonable steps. Read more about the social media age restrictions on the e-Safety Commissioner website, including viewing the eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant’s message about the importance of social media age restrictions and related online safety issues.

Parents and carers may like to subscribe to the e-Safety Commissioner’s parent newsletter here, for online tips, updates and resources – delivered straight to your inbox!

Welcome to the New CCSP News Feed

We are excited to introduce the Council of Catholic School Parents' new News Feed—a dedicated space to keep families informed, engaged, and connected. This new feature on our website is designed to be a central hub for the latest updates, helpful resources, and inspiring stories from Catholic school communities across the state.

The News Feed aims to celebrate the shared journey of parents and carers in Catholic education. Whether it’s key policy developments, upcoming events, or insights into learning and wellbeing, the News Feed will provide timely, relevant content to support families as the first and most important educators of their children.

We look forward to sharing this space with you and building stronger school communities through knowledge, collaboration, and faith.