Young people have joined eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant and the Minister for Communications Anika Wells and advocates in the youth, online safety and mental health sectors to reveal what they wished they knew before they turned 16.
In a youth-led event at Parliament House to mark Safer Internet Day, older teens, including members of the eSafety Youth Council, shared their reflections and the lessons learned from growing up online.
With Australia’s social media delay now in place for under-16s, eSafety is redoubling its efforts to support young people, parents and educators with new and updated resources, information and advice available through eSafety.gov.au.
Ms Inman Grant said it was vital to help under-16s build digital literacy and resilience before they grapple with the powerful and opaque algorithmic forces of social media.
These new resources include algorithmic literacy resources to better empower teens to manage their own feeds and online experiences.
“Many over-16s have told us they wish the delay had taken effect when they were younger. Today we’ll hear how they experienced life online in their early teens, how they view it today and what advice they would give to their younger selves,” Ms Inman Grant said.
“We have so much to learn from this generation, who have grown up moving seamlessly between their online and offline worlds because to them there is no divide between the two.
“I look forward to hearing the perspective of the young people on the panel so we can better understand the challenges they are facing and how we can work more effectively to make the online environment safer for them.
"But it’s not just the younger generations who can benefit. This Safer Internet Day, we’re asking everyone to reflect on what they they’ve learned.
“We also welcome senior leaders from national mental health and youth organisations, and influential voices committed to meaningful change for attending our Safer Internet Day event.”
Today we are also launching new resources that will help prepare children to make safer choices and protect themselves when exploring digital services and systems.
“I am pleased to announce the launch of our latest resource Mighty Heroes, so that we are teaching the four R’s of the Digital Age - respect, responsibility, reasoning and resilience - to younger Australians,” Ms Inman Grant said.
“The interactive web-game of beloved Aussie bush characters helps to educate children on digital literacy and safety as they enter the online world.
“This game is our latest addition to our existing suite of resources to help students learn how to connect, create, and stay safe online.
“Teaching digital safety early is essential in our online world. Every child deserves the right guidance, and we all play a part in making the internet safer and more positive.”
The Mighty Heroes web-based game doesn’t require any logins and can be played on interactive whiteboards, tablets, desktops and laptops. It was co-designed and developed with educators, parents and children to meet real classroom needs.
Applications to join the eSafety Youth Council for 2026 are now open. eSafety invites young people aged 13 to 24 to join the new Youth Council and help shape online safety education, resources and advice for other young Australians.
Visit the Safer Internet Day hub for information and resources.
Further resources to help educate young people on digital literacy can be found on the eSafety website.
Contact details:
For more information or to request an interview, please contact:
Phone: 0439 519 684 (virtual line – please do not send texts)
or [email protected]