Canberra Summit sets shared priorities for supporting young children online

Seventy delegates from across government, research, not-for-profit and industry sectors gathered in Canberra on 11–12 June for a national summit focused on the digital safety and wellbeing of young Australian children.

Hosted by the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child, the event brought together cross-sector leaders to share insights, spotlight emerging risks, and define a roadmap for collaborative action in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

The summit highlighted the growing complexity of children’s digital lives and the urgent need for policies and practices that place children’s rights and experiences at the centre.

Digital Child Director Distinguished Professor Susan Danby said the pace of technological change is transforming childhood in profound ways.

“Parents consistently identify screen time, cyberbullying and online safety as top concerns,” she said. “What we need now is evidence-based guidance that supports families and educators to foster safe, positive and empowering digital experiences.”

Summit Chair and Chief Investigator at the Digital Child, Professor Simon Smith, underscored the importance of sector-wide collaboration.

“The challenges children face online are too complex for any one organisation to solve in isolation,” he said. “This summit has been about uniting existing efforts and defining collective priorities for the road ahead.”

As the first research centre globally dedicated to supporting digital childhoods, the Digital Child is uniquely placed to lead national conversations on online safety, wellbeing and opportunity. The centre collaborates with researchers from six Australian universities and a wide range of local and international partners.

In the lead-up to the event, the Digital Child released a new report on generative AI and young children. The report outlines a practical framework for families, educators and policymakers to navigate the opportunities and challenges of AI technologies in early learning contexts.

For more information about the summit or to access the Generative AI and Young Children report, visit: www.digitalchild.org.au