A new trial will test 3 options, reports Toby Murray, Associate Professor of Cybersecurity When federal parliament passed legislation last week which will ban under 16s from social media, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese celebrated. Posting on X, he said: “We’re doing everything we can to keep...
How it will work remains a mystery, reports Lisa M. Given The federal parliament has passed legislation to ban people under 16 from having an account with some social media platforms. In doing so, it has ignored advice from a chorus of experts – and from the...
Can Screen Time Really Impact Kids' Mental Clarity and Wellbeing? Researchers from UNSW’s School of Psychology investigate. With digital devices now ever-present in children’s lives, many parents worry about potential mental and emotional consequences of excessive screen time. Is there any truth to ‘brain rot’—the idea...
Research conducted online amongst Australian parents finds two-thirds of parents feel guilty about their kids’ internet use, writes Dr Kimberley O’Brien. A national survey of more than 1,000 adults with children aged up to 18 years found more than two-thirds (70%) of parents report feeling anxious...
Wearables can lead people to stress more about their health, writes Caleb Ferguson Wearable trackers and monitors (such as smartwatches) are increasingly popular and sophisticated. For people living with heart conditions, they can provide important information, including updates about abnormalities in heart rate and rhythm. But a...
Social robot or digital avatar, users interact with this AI technology as if it’s real, report Brigitte Viljoen and Elizabeth Day Humans are interacting more than ever with artificial intelligence (AI) – from the development of the first “social robots” (a robot with a physical body...
Some online platforms are starting to measure ‘student engagement’ at school, writes Chris Zomer. Here’s what you need to know. There is increasing concern children are less focused in school. This is often blamed on smartphones and social media. At the same time, there is significant pressure...
Marilyn Campbell and Elizabeth J Edwards looked at all the recent evidence on mobile phone bans in schools – this is what they found. Mobile phones are currently banned in all Australian state schools and many Catholic and independent schools around the country. This is part...
One incident served as a stark reminder to Victoria Baker of the risks associated with innocently sharing children's information online. In a digital age where sharing every moment seems like second nature, my husband and I have made a conscious decision to protect our child's privacy...
How to know when your child is ready for ‘phone privacy’, writes Joanne Orlando Smartphone ownership among younger children is increasing rapidly. Many primary school children now own smartphones, and they have become the norm in high school. Parents of younger children may occasionally (or routinely) look...
