Latest News on Children and the Media

Apps can track: and very few protections! July 21, 2022

Apps can track: and very few protections! Too many game apps that children play not only gather children’s personal data, but do this in a way that parents can do little to avoid. Read more here. Our Briefing doc is attached and the ABC story is here. read more »

EDITORIAL: A post pandemic world of ‘tele-everything’ – what does the digital ‘new normal’ mean for our children? July 4, 2022

By Dr Anthea Rhodes CMA Board Member Developmental and Behavioural Paediatrician Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne As the fear of COVID and strict government regulations swept across the world, adults and children alike took refuge in the safety of their homes as weeks of stay-at-home rules bled into the best part read more »

EDITORIAL: Developing brains, youth gambling and media May 10, 2022

By Assoc. Professor Wayne Warburton One of the things we know about children and teenagers is that their brains are still developing. The parts of the brain that work automatically – that cause us to feel emotions, remember things, fight or flee when threatened, and seek read more »

EDITORIAL: In these troubled times, children need healthy happy viewing. March 21, 2022

Children have been dealt a double whammy in the past couple of years: two years of on and off lockdowns, along with screens full of doom, gloom, disaster and violence. It’s no wonder that Australian health and medical bodies and researchers are expressing concern about children’s read more »

March 17 e-bulletin is out now! March 17, 2022

Our latest e-bulletin is out now! This e-bulletin includes the latest in child development news and our newest movie reviews. Read it here read more »

Social Media and Online Safety Inquiry releases report March 16, 2022

This inquiry (between Dec 2021 and March 2022) has made 26 recommendations. read more »

US President Joe Biden takes social media to task March 1, 2022

He said "we must hold social media platforms accountable for the national experiment they’re conducting on our children for profit". FACT SHEET: President Biden to Announce Strategy read more »

ACCM completes 6 months of reviews showing app tracking behaviour January 31, 2022

Checkout your child’s apps here to see which ad-linked companies get your child’s data. read more »

Guest Editorial: Reset Australia discusses an Australian Privacy Code November 8, 2021

By Elena Yi-Ching Ho & Rys Farthing The long awaited Enhancing Online Privacy Bill paves the way for an Australian privacy code, that addresses how all Australian’s data can be used on social media platforms (think TikTok), large online platforms (like Spotify) and by data brokers read more »

Editorial: ACCM on the Restricted Access System Declaration October 7, 2021

Guest authored by our president, Prof Elizabeth Handsley The eSafety Commissioner has called for comment on the Discussion Paper on the RAS. Here’s an edited version of ACCM’s submission: Regulatory measures to protect the interests of children as media users read more »

Instagram puts welcome pause on service for kids. September 30, 2021

In response to significant concerns, Instragram has put a welcome pause on its new app for kids. Listen to ACCM’s President, Prof Elizabeth Handsley, on ABC Newsradio discussing it here. read more »

ACCM's small screen celebrates 35 years in print! August 17, 2021

ACCM’s monthly review of children and media news, small screen, celebrates 35 years in print! To subscribe to small screen, download and complete the application form. read more »

July 28 e-bulletin is out now! July 28, 2021

Our latest e-bulletin is out now! This e-bulletin covers the latest developments and research in children and media. Read it here read more »

UK group 5 Rights launches compelling new research, 'Pathways: How digital design puts children at risk'. July 26, 2021

UK group 5 Rights has launched compelling new research, 'Pathways: How digital design puts children at risk'. The report highlights a "profound carelessness and disregard for children, embedded in the features, products, and services - the norms - of the digital world". read more »

July 8 e-bulletin is out now! July 8, 2021