📱 Is an app really educational—or just marketed that way? Many children's apps are labelled as "educational," but what does that actually mean?

Last week, researchers, policymakers, industry leaders and child rights advocates from across the Asia Pacific came together to explore one of the most pressing questions of our time: How should we regulate children's use of digital media? 🌏📱

What are ACODA families’ views on children’s data privacy at home? 🔎📱 We surveyed 400+ ACODA families to better understand their concerns and practices around children’s data privacy in the home.

Google promotes “teacher approved” apps for kids — but what does that really mean for parents? In this latest piece, Chris Zomer and Niels Kerssens unpack how these labels can shape trust and perceptions of educational value, and why they may not always be as clear or reliable as they seem.

How well do multicultural families understand Australia’s internet rules—and how can we do better? Join us for Connecting Communities: Multicultural Families and Internet Policy — a thoughtful and practical seminar bringing together voices from community, media and academia.

Big, small, curious or serious — every question counts, and selected ones will even be featured in the “Ask the Experts: AI Uncovered” podcast series during National Science Week 🇦🇺 📅 Submissions open: 17 June – 17 July 🎧 Podcast: 15–23 August docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

What are the biggest challenges facing Australian children in today’s digital world? 📱 At the Digital Childhoods Summit, we asked experts and leaders across the sector to share their insights 🎤 Watch this video and join the conversation by sharing your thoughts 👇

🎉 Congratulations! 🎉 Two members of the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child have been awarded $587,640 under the ARC Linkage Projects 2025 (Round 2) for Digital Futures: Computational Thinking Tools for Foundational Learning.

2025 was an incredible year for us, marked by meaningful accomplishments, collaboration, and impact across our work. We’re excited to share our Annual Report, capturing a year of research, partnerships, media engagement, and collective effort across our community.

And you? What do you think children deserve in their digital world? 🌍💭 Let us know in the comments 💬👇 #DigitalChildhood #DigitalWorld #OnlineSafety #ChildrensVoices

🌏 New article in our International Perspectives series! What can 19 preschool children in South Korea teach us about digital childhood?

🎤 At the Digital Child Summit 2026, we asked leaders, researchers, educators, and advocates from across the children and digital sector to share one message with children. Their answers are inspiring, thoughtful, and a reminder that children's voices matter in shaping our digital future. 🌟💬

🌏 The Regulation of Children’s Use of Digital Media in the Asia Pacific Join us for a timely and critical conversation on how countries across the Asia-Pacific are responding to children’s use of digital media — and what Australia’s landmark legislation means for the region.

New report release ‼️ 📢 🤖 Generative AI is rapidly becoming part of children’s everyday lives — from chatbots and AI companions to interactive toys. But what does this mean for how children play, learn, and build relationships?

Children’s voices spark drive for national action as delegates unite at Digital Childhoods Summit 2026

🎮✨ Calling all young gamers and creative minds! QUT is inviting children aged 7–8 to take part in an exciting research project: Children as Designers of Positive Digital Games 💡🕹️ Through fun, hands-on workshops, children will work alongside professional game developers to co-design digital games.

✨ From children’s ideas to meaningful stories ✨ Patty loves her tablet and her garden 🥕

🌐👧🧒 How do we support children to take part in shaping their own online privacy rules? Digital Child × OAIC: Supporting young voices in the draft Privacy Code Australia.

Do you know who you really trust with your child’s health? Trust in health information has shifted dramatically — from unquestioned medical authority to a world where parents juggle expert advice, Google searches, social media voices and lived experience.

Really proud to share that my first book will be out in August. "Screen Time and the Impossibility of Contemporary Parenting" examines popular, everyday talk about young children and screen media.

There’s still time for young children to be part of an important national conversation — and it starts with a drawing. The OAIC has created a fun and simple drawing workbook for children aged 0–8 to share their thoughts about their online experiences.

We’re pleased to share this International Perspectives piece from our guest investigator contributor, Ylva Ågren (University of Gothenburg). This article explores how childhood consumption and money are being reshaped in the digital age. 💰📱

📚 Our Members’ Academic Journals: These publications reflect the depth and impact of our research community shaping the future of digital childhoods. Here are 10 essential reads to explore👇 1️⃣ The (im)possibility of AI literacy 👥 Author: Luci Pangrazio 📚https://shorturl.at/1QN0t

What if children don’t just learn facts — but actually imagine with them? 🌍🧠 This piece invites us to look beyond what children should know, and instead consider how they make sense of what matters to them.

Digital Child is inviting academics to join an upcoming roundtable on the draft Children’s Online Privacy Code (the Code), which aims to put children at the centre of privacy protections in Australia. This is an opportunity to discuss the draft Code directly with the OAIC.

Australia is tightening the rules on children’s privacy – here’s how it will work. @tamaleaver.bsky.social talks about the draft Children's Online Privacy Code for @aunz.theconversation.com theconversation.com/australia-is...

✨ Digital Play at Queensland Children’s Hospital ✨ Over 25–26 November, the Digital Child team partnered with Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service to bring hands-on Digital Play experiences to families.

Australia’s new social media Minimum Age law is now in effect — but will it stop cyberbullying? According to our Chief Investigator Professor Tama Leaver er, the answer is no.

Prof. Michael Dezuanni, is part of today’s ABC News expert panel discussing the new social media restrictions coming into effect for under-16s. Michael is answering community questions about what this change means for young people, parents and educators. 🔗 www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12...

Also a throwback to our earlier interview with @tamaleaver.bsky.social of the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child (@digitalchildau.bsky.social) on the recent ban on social media for children under 16 in #Australia: open.spotify.com/episode/5zCX...

This is the some of the work from our members and researchers who have been exploring this important matter in depth. As the social media delay comes into effect tomorrow (Dec 10th, 2025), these three key resources can be used by teenagers, educators and parents to help manage the change. 💬✨

Our new report, Young Australians’ Perspectives on the Social Media Minimum Age Legislation, published in collaboration with the QUT Digital Media Research Centre, shares what young people really think as the country prepares for this change. Full Report: digitalchild.org.au/research/pub...

📣 Teachers, we’ve prepared something for you! From December 10, the Australian Government’s Social Media Delay comes into effect. We’ve developed a set of practical teaching and learning materials you can use right away. Access the lesson plan here: digitalchild.org.au/educators/le...

🎉 Huge Congratulations to Tama Leaver! 🎉 A well-deserved recognition as Most Prolific Media Commentator for the Faculty of Humanities at the 2025 Curtin University Research Excellence and Impact Awards. 🔗 Read the full announcement from Curtin University here: www.curtin.edu.au/news/media-r...

Think “screen time” is easy to measure? 🤔📱 Children use technology in different ways, across different contexts—and no single method can capture the full picture. Our new blog breaks down why measuring children’s screen use is so challenging. digitalchild.org.au/ways-to-meas...

🎉 Congratulations to our Digital Child members from the University of Wollongong, Dr Zhiguang Zhang and Dr Tiffani Apps, on receiving Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) grants! We’re proud to celebrate their important research and this outstanding achievement.

📢 New Social Media Age Rules: What You Need to Know From 10 December 2025, social media companies must ensure all users in Australia are 16+. To do this, they may check details like your location, mobile number, account settings, or online activity.

📚 Our Picks from the Digital Child Centre: Stay Informed on Digital Childhoods We’ve selected five essential reads—journal articles, research papers, and news—to help you stay up to date on the latest insights into children’s experiences in digital spaces.

📢 Call for Submissions – ICA 2026 Children’s rights under pressure in a digital world #ICA2026 #ChildrensRights #DigitalChildhoods #AIandChildren #ResearchCommunity #CallForPapers #DigitalFuturesForChildre

📱✨ Your Feed, Your Say, Your Future Are you 14–18 and living in Australia (or know someone who is)? We want to hear what YOU think about the upcoming social media age-limit changes. 👉 Your voice matters — take the survey here: uniofqueensland.syd1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

Hey Brisbane! Join us next Tuesday for a FREE Stay and Play storytelling session! 🎨📚 Bring your little storytellers along for an afternoon of creativity, imagination, and family fun at the Digital Stories Competition Launch. ✨

This fascinating project explores how children play, imagine, and create across generations. 📘Read International Perspectives – Playing the Archive by Professor John Potter on the Digital Child blog: 🔗https://digitalchild.org.au/playing-the-archive-from-the-opies-to-the-digital-playground/

👩‍👧💻 Want to help your little one learn about the digital world — safely and playfully? Join our free in-person Parent–Child Workshops, hosted by QUT and UOW researchers! 📍 This Thursday in Wollongong 📍 This Saturday in Brisbane Register here 👉 : uow.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

Join us for a Stay and Play storytelling session in Brisbane! 🎨📚 Bring your little storytellers along for an afternoon of creativity 📅 Tuesday, 18 November 2025 📍 CTC, QUT Kelvin Grove – E Block, Room 420 🎟️ Please register via Humanitix here: events.humanitix.com/digital-stor...

🌟 Children's Rights in Action | Networking & Conversations 🌟 📅 Event details Date: Thursday 13th November Time: 4:15pm – 6:00pm 📍 Location: Children’s Technology Centre, Level 4 E Block, QUT Kelvin Grove or Online 💻 🔗 Register here: events.humanitix.com/children-s-r...

✨ Thank you to everyone who joined us for our event on “AI and Children: Friend or Foe?” 📘 Explore more: Download the report Children and Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in Australia to learn about the key challenges of GenAI 👉 digitalchild.org.au/artificialin...

📢 Call for Papers! AJEC invites abstracts for a special issue on children’s perspectives in their digital childhoods 🌍💻 📅 Abstracts due: Fri, 31 Oct 2025 📧 [email protected] Susan Danby, | [email protected] Irina Silva

👩‍👧💻 Want to help your little one learn about the digital world — safely and playfully? Join our free in-person Parent–Child Workshops hosted by QUT and UOW researchers! 📍 In-person workshops in Brisbane and Wollongong ⚡ Limited spots available — register now: uow.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

This week’s podcast episode dives into one of the most important topics for families, educators and researchers.

The Digital Child has responded to the Productivity Commission’s inquiry on Harnessing Data and Digital Technology. Read more about how we’re advocating for children’s digital rights here: digitalchild.org.au/research/pub...