Social media plays a significant role in the lives of our young people. It does provide opportunities to connect, stay in touch and be creative, however it also brings responsibilities. At our College, we encourage our families to be vigilant in monitoring the online behaviour of their children. As you would be aware in December last year the Australian Government introduced social media laws that require children under the age of 16 to not have access to social media platforms. These laws apply not just for new accounts, however with the request that existing under-16 accounts be deactivated or removed also.
Unfortunately, these platforms are still being used to bully and demonstrate behaviour that is hurtful and impacts the wellbeing of those in our school community. As a College, we encourage students to remember that the values they demonstrate at school should also be reflected in their online interactions with others.
Certain social media platforms are expected to take reasonable steps to stop under-16s from creating or keeping accounts, these include Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, X, YouTube, Reddit and Kick. These laws aim to protect young people during a critical stage of growing up and the confidence to build real-life social skills and resilience. Catholic Regional College are committed to ensuring that our students are following these laws and we will continue to support our young people and our families regarding online safety.
For further information, education and support please visit the eSafety Commissioner website.