REDI experts support national online safety efforts

REDI members have been called on to provide advice during a period of significant change as Australia implements its social media minimum age laws. The ban, which took effect on 10 December, prevents all Australians under 16 from holding accounts on platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, X and Reddit. It’s part of a broader effort to address concerns around online safety and youth wellbeing.

Dr Andy Zhao and Associate Professor Luci Pangrazio will join the eSafety Commissioner’s inaugural Parent Advisory Group, working together to empower parents and carers in the digital age and Professor Julian Sefton-Green will join international and Australian experts to evaluate the roll-out of the social media ban and its impacts. These Deakin researchers are part of the Deakin node of the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child, which sits within the Centre for Research for Educational Impact (REDI).

The Parent Advisory Group has been established to provide expert feedback and advice to help inform eSafety’s approach to supporting families. Deakin will be represented by Dr Andy Zhao as the primary representative and Associate Professor Luci Pangrazio as a secondary representative.

The advisory group brings together 12 organisations representing a diverse cross-section of Australian communities, including culturally and linguistically diverse families, First Nations peoples, regional and remote communities, people with a disability, LGBTIQ+ communities and families from low socio-economic backgrounds.

‘This is a timely and important initiative which supports parent-focused messaging about online safety and critical issues like the social media minimum age legislation,’ Dr Zhao said.

‘I will draw on findings and insights from research studies at the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child to inform eSafety’s communication strategies, especially in relation to families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.’

The Parent Advisory Group will provide eSafety with evidence-informed insights to strengthen engagement with parents and carers and help shape online safety resources. The group will serve in a voluntary capacity until 30 June 2026.

Professor Julian Sefton-Green will join 10 international and Australian experts in a Stanford University-led advisory group tasked with assessing the social media ban’s intended and unintended consequences. Professor Sefton-Green hopes to bring his passion for education to a group predominantly composed of experts in medicine, health and psychology.

‘Participating in this Stanford University led advisory group is a personal privilege and a great opportunity to play a full part in contributing to public debate, and to show how social science is useful and effective for policymakers, families and young people themselves,’ Professor Sefton-Green said.

Professor Sefton-Green suggests the ban will reveal how online life can shape childhood experiences.

‘My previous research has allowed me to spend time with individuals, families and schools to understand how digital media fits into everyday life, and how it connects to people’s values, relationships and experiences.

‘I see the ban as not just about protecting children, but as a chance to teach and support them.

‘It’s important to help young people develop their own understanding of what’s happening in their lives, both offline and online. If the ban applies to young people below the age of 16, what changes the day of their 16th birthday?

‘Just like sex education, we need to start these conversations earlier, before problems arise. We also need to build knowledge and strategies that help young people, their families and communities better understand and navigate digital life.’

The evaluation will focus closely on how the ban affects families as a social intervention. Professor Sefton-Green hopes it will help people better understand what it means to be affected by social media.

‘What matters most is helping families find the kind of information, evidence and conversations that make sense for them and support their own circumstances.’

Deakin’s REDI continues to deliver research that supports socially just, inclusive and equitable education.