Helping Your Family Navigate the New Social Media Law in Australia- for parents
What’s changing & why it matters
The Australian Government has introduced a new law: from 10 December 2025, children under the age of 16 will no longer be able to create (or keep) accounts on social-media platforms defined as “social interaction” services.
What does this mean for you as a parent?
- Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, X (formerly Twitter) and others will be required to take “reasonable steps” to stop under-16s from having accounts.
- It is the platforms that are legally responsible — there are no fines for children or families who may breach the rule.
- The intention: to reduce risks for children such as exposure to harmful content, cyber-bullying, addictive scrolling patterns, and the design features of social media that can affect wellbeing.
Why this is a good turning-point (and yes, it comes with challenges)
What’s good:
- The law recognises the impact social media platforms can have on young people’s mental health, and signals that we are shifting some responsibility from parents alone to platforms and regulators.
- It creates a natural opportunity for meaningful conversations with your children about technology, boundaries, values and healthy screen use — rather than just reactive “no phones!” moments when something happens.
- It gives you a moment to reassess what social media use means in your family: is it social connection, creativity, entertainment, companionship — or something else being filled in the background (boredom, peer pressure, anxiety, comparison)?
What to watch out for / possible hurdles:
- Practical enforcement is still being worked out. The platforms are required to take steps, but implementation (age verification, detection of fake accounts, children using a parent’s account) is tricky.
- Children might shift to unregulated or lesser-known platforms not captured by the law (or they might by-pass the rules using older siblings’ accounts). So the risk doesn’t disappear — it may simply change.
- Some children will feel a sense of “missing out” if their peers remain on certain platforms (or move to new ones). Emotionally, for many tweens and early teens, social-media access is tied to peer identity, belonging, engagement.
- As a parent you may feel added pressure: “Am I doing enough? Are we being too strict? Are we over-reacting?” This law doesn’t replace your parenting role — it complements it.
What you can do as a parent (practical tips)
Here are six simple strategies you can start today (or deepen) to support your child and your family as this change rolls out.
1. Start the conversation early and often
- Sit down with your child (aged, say, 10-15) and talk openly: “You might have heard about the new rules coming for social-media use. Let’s talk about what that means for you and for our family.”
- Ask their view: “How do you use social media now? What do you like about it? What feels tricky or stressful about it?”
- Normalize lots of different feelings: excitement, disappointment, curiosity, fear of missing out.
2. Define why social media is in your house — and what healthy use looks like
- Together with your child, brainstorm what the role of social media is (or could be). Is it to stay in touch with friends, share creativity, follow interests, belong to a group, learn something new?
- Then ask: “What are the boundaries?” For example: time of day, device-free zones (bedroom, dinner table), what happens if there’s a conflict (cyber-bullying, negative comments, peer pressure).
- Reassure that having boundaries is not about “punishment” — it’s about setting the stage for healthy, sustainable habits.
3. Replace with good alternatives
When social-media access reduces (whether by law or by your family plan), children often still want connection, entertainment, peer contact or a creative outlet. Help them find alternatives:
- Face-to-face, texting or phone/voice chat with friends.
- Shared family activities (board game, cooking together, walks).
- Creative outlets: photo-journal, hobby (coding, drawing, music, sport), blog or digital project with supervision.
- Safe, age-appropriate online spaces that don’t rely on social-media style features (likes, feeds, endless scroll).
4. Focus on emotional & social skills, not just screen time
- Teach recognition of feelings: “When I’m on my device for too long I feel …”, “When I see that post it makes me feel …”
- Talk about comparison, self-esteem, authenticity: social media often shows highlight reels, not full lives.
- Talk about building resilience: how to handle being left out, cyber-bullying, peer pressure, seeing upsetting content.
- Model your own healthy tech habits: children learn a lot from watching how you manage your phone, your notifications, your “downtime”.
5. Use the law as a tool, not a threat
- Explain the law to your child simply: “In Australia, from December, social-media platforms have to stop accounts for under-16s. That means we’ll need to think differently about how we use our devices.”
- Use it as a motivation for family agreements rather than as a punish-or-ban approach.
- Let them feel some agency: “We’ll make a plan together about how you will keep connected, how you will keep safe, how you’ll use your device.”
6. Stay flexible and review regularly
- Technology and social-media are changing fast. What feels right now may not in a year. Revisit your rules every 3-6 months: ask your child: “What’s working? What’s not? What would you like to tweak?”
- Be open to exceptions. There may be good reasons for shorter bursts of online contact that can be integrated without using social media sites (group work, creative project, staying in touch).
- Maintain open and calm communication: When things go wrong (uncomfortable messages, peer conflict, exposure to upsetting content), make it easy and safe for your child to come to you — not feel punished or ashamed.
Common questions (and answers)
Q: What’s the legal consequences?
A: The law requires social-media platforms to take steps to prevent under-16s from holding accounts. It does not mean children are legally penalised if they log in; rather, the platform is responsible.) As a family, you can still decide how you’ll manage devices, browsing, communication platforms.
Q: Won’t they just go to other platforms that aren’t covered by the law?
A: That is possible. The law covers “age-restricted social media platforms” defined by certain features. Some services (messaging apps, games) are excluded. So yes — this is why your family agreements and conversations are still critical.
Q: Isn’t this over-protective? Doesn’t social media also have positives (connection, creativity)?
A: Absolutely it can have positives. Many kids gain lots from social media: learning, identity, connection, self-expression. The challenge is balancing the benefits with the risks and ensuring developmentally appropriate use. The law offers a chance for families to reflect on those benefits and risks together.
Q: How do we deal with peer pressure (“Everyone else is on Instagram…”)?
A: Acknowledge the feeling: “Yes, your friends are on there and that’s hard.” Encourage your child to express how that makes them feel. Focus on their values: “What matters to you? How do you want to use your time? What kind of online presence do you want?” Encourage them to help design their own healthy media pathway. Even encourage them to have conversations with their peers about not leaving people out when some people in a friend group have turned 16 years old and others haven’t; how is everyone going to stay included.
Final word
As a parent, you’re navigating changing ground: the digital landscape evolves, the laws evolve, your children evolve. This new rule in Australia offers a moment to pause, reflect and reset together as a family.
Your role is less about policing every minute and more about guiding, listening, connecting, and building resilience. Together — you can transform this change into a chance to deepen your relationship, clarify your family values, and empower your child to use media in ways that support their wellbeing.
If you’d like further support, feel free to ask — whether it’s for conversation starters you can use with your child, sample family agreements around devices, or how to spot when social-media use is becoming a struggle rather than a benefit.
Take care of you, too; leadership makes a big difference.
Blog written by Maryam Qureshi
ALL Images Courtesy of FREEP!K
If you’d like to find out more about One Central Health, give us a call today on (08) 9344 1318.