A nationwide crackdown on social media is just one step in solving the hold it has on our kids, and enforceable laws are still a while away.
So what can parents do in the meantime to make sure their children have a positive and safe online experience?
“Even us as adults have that hard time letting go of social media and putting our phones down,” mother Melissa Stradiotto said.
“So how can we expect our children to have that same mental capacity…
“I wish we were without it to be honest with you.”
Another Adelaide mother, whose 10-year-old daughter fell victim to online grooming and bullying, leading to a loss of self-worth, said she doesn’t know how to deal with social media.
“It’s heartbreaking,” she said.
“She doesn’t see the reflection of life in the mirror, and that’s terrifying.”
She’s not the only one who’s struggling to tackle the dangers of social media.
“You don’t want to disconnect them from their friends and social groups but you do get a bit worried about some of the things they do get exposed to,” parent Brett Coshell said.
With any law changes to bar under-16s from social media still over a year away from taking effect, experts have offered advice for parents to regain control.
Acclaimed author Johann Hari has suggested locking phones away in a safe for part of the day.
“Start by having 15 minutes a day where you all put your phone in the phone jail, and you have to look into each others eyes like people did in the 19th century,” he said.
Clinical psychologist Danielle Einstein, meanwhile, recommends practising “device discipline”.
“When people between the ages of 17-25 reduced their social media use, reduced it to one hour a day, they had reductions in anxiety, in their depression in their fear of missing out and their sleep, so we can do this,” he said.
Parents can also use the tools provided by social media platforms.
TikTok’s Family Pairing allows parents to set screen time limits and pause notifications, while Snapchat enables parents to monitor their children’s chats.
Meta’s Family Centre offers additional safety information.
Engaging with children and understanding their online world is crucial as well.
“Participate, don’t just police,” Dolly’s Dream CEO Sarah Davies said.
“So actually talk to your child, play with them, get online with them, partner with them and walk alongside them in their digital worlds so that we get to understand, we learn the language, we can see what they are doing.
“Build the trust and then talk to your children.”
Parents can seek guidance from resources like the eSafety Commissioner’s website and the Carly Ryan Foundation.
Despite the challenges, experts remain optimistic that online dangers can be managed.
“The entire internet has existed for less than 10,000, we can fix this stuff if we want to, we can put it right,” Hari said.
Support is available from the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800.
This article was produced with the assistance of 9ExPress.
