The Australian Government passed a new law called the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024. This law “bans” under 16s from holding some social media accounts from Wednesday 10 December 2025.
Eg; Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X and YouTube
No. The laws only impose obligations on social media platforms. If a child under 16 accesses a social media account, the child cannot be penalised and nor can their school or parents/carers.
Schools do not have an obligation to monitor compliance with the laws, i.e. if the school discovers that an under 16 holds an account with an age-restricted platform, the school may report this but is not legally obliged to do so.
Under the law, the responsibility lies with the age-restricted platforms to find and deactivate existing accounts held by under-16s and to prevent under-16s from creating new accounts.
Visit eSafety’s social media age restrictions hub to find out what’s happening and how to prepare.
Australian Government - Social Media Minimum Age – Fact sheet
eSafety Commissioner - Social media age restrictions Hub
On Thursday 13 November the Year 8 Game Development class worked with Mindflight7 using our Virtual Reality Headsets to look at a variety of different simulations in the area of Gaming. Virtual Reality has been proven to improve student engagement. The students were first given an overview on how to use the headsets and controllers. The Game Development simulator allowed students to immerse themselves in interactive virtual reality experience in gaming.
This week we will look at a Game Development Simulator where students will experience an office setting in a game production company as they collaborate with a team of creatives to produce and develop a video game for a game development competition. Students will get a taste of everyday life for a game developer which involves writing code, collaborating with various departments, and making informed decisions regarding the structure and result of a video game.
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