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Child Safeguarding Statement
Some resources and activities may prompt a child to remember and potentially share an experience of harm. Make sure you’re familiar with your school's safeguarding policies and procedures so you can confidently report safety and well-being concerns.
Prepare students for the session by discussing: their right to be safe and respected; what to do if discussing online safety makes them feel uncomfortable or unsafe; and how to seek help if they feel or have felt unsafe. Use this resource available on the website.
Tips & Resources
The Online Content Risk Area: A Parent's Guide
Helping your child think critically about what they see online
You might be reading this because your child is learning about Content as part of the eSmart Digital Licence program at school. Content is one of four online risk areas. It's about helping children evaluate and respond to what they encounter online.
Introducing the Content risk area
Key takeaways
Online safety is a shared responsibility between school and home and it's an ongoing conversation with your child, not a one-time lesson.
Open communication builds trust. When your child knows they can bring confusing content to you without judgement, problems get solved earlier.
It's easier than you think. Asking a few questions while you watch together is enough to start building critical thinking habits.
These are life skills. Questioning sources, spotting manipulation and thinking critically benefit your child well beyond the screen.
Parental controls help, but the real goal is building your child's own judgement about what they see online.
What parents should know
Children today have access to more information than any previous generation. That access brings real benefits for learning and creativity, but it also means exposure to material that can mislead, confuse, or distress them.
Content risks include misinformation, age-inappropriate material, biased or hateful content, manipulated images and videos, and online scams.
The eSafety Commissioner reports that 7 in 10 Australian children aged 10 to 15 have encountered content associated with harm online, including misogynistic or hateful material, dangerous online challenges, violent fight videos, and content promoting disordered eating or self-harm.
The good news is that children who learn to question what they see online become more confident and resilient—and these are skills you can build together through everyday conversations.
What content risks look like at different ages
Children aged 4 to 7 may stumble across upsetting images or videos through autoplay features, or be confused by advertising that looks like content. At this age, they cannot reliably distinguish between real and fictional content.
Children aged 8 to 11 are more likely to actively search for information online. They may encounter misinformation, clickbait, or content that looks credible but contains false claims. Peer influence may also lead them to seek out material that is not age-appropriate.
Children aged 12 and older face a more complex media landscape. They may encounter sophisticated misinformation, manipulated images (including AI-generated content), and content designed to provoke strong emotional reactions.
Practical strategies for home
Turn online content into a curiosity exercise
Rather than telling your child what to think, help them build the habit of questioning. When you're watching or scrolling together, ask open-ended questions that get them thinking.
You might ask:
"Who do you think made this? What might they want you to believe?"
"Does this feel like the whole story, or just part of it?"
"What could we check to find out if this is true?"
For younger children, you might simplify this: "Is this real or pretend? How can we tell?"
Introduce the three-source check
When your child sees something surprising online, encourage them to check at least two other reliable sources before accepting it as fact. Do this together with younger children. Prompt older children to try it independently, then talk about what they found.
You might say:
"That's interesting. Let's see if other sources say the same thing."
Create a "show me" culture
Children often hesitate to share confusing or upsetting content because they fear getting in trouble. Make it clear that you want them to bring things to you so you can work it out together. The Alannah & Madeline Foundation's DigiTalk resource, Exposure to harmful content online and what parents can do, goes deeper on the types of content children are likely to encounter and the practical steps you can take as a family.
You might say:
"If something online feels weird or wrong, I want to know. You won't be in trouble. We'll figure it out together."
Watch together and think aloud
The Raising Children Network recommends shared screen time as a way to guide children's media understanding and build digital literacy. When you're watching videos or scrolling with your child, pause occasionally to ask questions. This builds media literacy without it feeling like a lesson.
You might say:
"I wonder how they edited this?" or "This headline sounds dramatic. Let's check if other sources say the same thing."
Show them what it looks like
Children learn by watching. Question sensational content aloud and talk about your media choices. Your habits shape theirs.
Set up filters, but explain their limits
The most important filter is your child's own ability to question what they see and seek help when needed. The eSafety Commissioner's guide to parental controls provides in-depth information about filters on devices and platforms.
Know your games ratings
All games sold in Australia now carry an age classification, and it's worth checking the rating before agreeing to a new game. Beyond content, some games also include features like loot boxes, which use chance-based rewards to encourage repeated spending and are worth a conversation with your child.
The DigiTalk guide, Level up: A parent's guide to choosing, protecting and engaging with games for children, includes a practical checklist to help you assess whether a game is right for your child, and links to the Australian Classifications Guide for ratings information.
These conversations make a difference
Families who build critical thinking habits around media tend to see benefits that extend well beyond screen time. Children become more confident questioning what they see online, in advertising, news, and everyday conversations. Conflicts about content exposure often decrease because children develop skills to self-manage.
Most importantly, these conversations strengthen your relationship. When children know they can bring confusing or upsetting content to you without judgement, that openness carries into other areas of their lives.
The skills your child develops now—spotting manipulation, checking sources, asking good questions—will serve them well into adolescence and adulthood.
How this connects to other online risks
Critical thinking skills don't just help with content. They also help your child navigate who they talk to, how they behave, and how they manage their time online.
Conduct
Relates to behaving respectfully online
Compulsion
Relates to building healthy digital habits.
Contact
Relates to staying safe in online interactions.
FAQs
What should I do if my child sees inappropriate content online?
Stay calm and listen without judgement. Let them know they're not in trouble, then talk through what they saw together. What matters most is that they felt safe coming to you.
Do parental controls work?
They help reduce exposure, but they're not foolproof. Think of them as one layer of protection alongside regular conversations about how to question and evaluate what your child sees online.
What age should I teach my child about media literacy?
You should start conversations with children early and often with simple ideas like "real vs pretend." The earlier you begin, the more natural these conversations become as your child grows. The eSmart Digital Licence is a free resource that helps educators bring these skills into the classroom from Foundation to Year 6. Consider sharing it with your child's school.
How do I teach my child to spot fake news?
Learn together. Try saying things like "I'm not sure if this is true. Let's find out together." Use the three-source check: if something seems surprising or important, verify it against at least two other reliable sources.
Further reading and references
- Alannah & Madeline Foundation – DigiTalks: Exposure to harmful content online and what parents can do
- eSafety Commissioner – Critical thinking: Deciding what to trust in a world of AI, scams and fake news
- Raising Children Network: Media literacy – Australian parenting advice on teaching children to evaluate media
- Children and Media Australia – Australian reviews of movies, apps, and games with age-based recommendations
- Australian Classification Board – Official age ratings for films, games, and publications