Dr Cat Horvat

The data is in, and it tells a clear story.
Australia’s under-16 social media ban is not working as intended.
A new EFTM survey, reported by Trevor Long, found that 63% of parents said the ban had been completely ineffective, while another 25% said their children had simply found workarounds.
What concerns me most is not just that it is failing; it is the unintended consequences.

Children who may once have had supervised, age-appropriate access are now finding other ways online with less visibility and fewer safeguards. Harmful behaviour is not disappearing. It is simply shifting into spaces that are often even harder for adults to see, including messaging apps and gaming platforms.
This is exactly why the work of matters.
Fear-based restrictions do not create safer outcomes. What creates safer outcomes is informed, connected, values-led guidance for families.
As an educator and researcher, I believe we need to move beyond bans and toward something more sustainable: equipping parents, schools, and communities with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to raise kind, safe, digitally capable children.

That is the heart of our work at The Blended Citizens Project. We focus on building digital citizenship through empathy, reflection, and connection, not control.

Thank you, , for bringing this data into the conversation.
I’ve linked Trevor Long’s full piece in the comments.

What are you seeing in your own family, school, or community?

💐Grateful to have been nominated for the Women of Western Sydney Awards (Community and Social Enterprise) this year and to stand alongside so many women whose work is strengthening communities across the region.

My work through the and in public education focuses on helping families, parents and schools support young people growing up in a digitally blended world, translating research on digital citizenship into practical guidance for the adults raising and educating the next generation.

Community and belonging look different today for many young people, particularly those navigating life online and offline simultaneously, transitioning from out-of-home care, or growing up without close family support. How identity, connection and responsibility develop in this digitally blended world matters more than ever.

Tried the AI caricature trend 🤖 and it captured so much of the work I care deeply about.
Research 🔍Protection 🛡️Humanity in a digital world 🌏
At the centre of all of my work is my family. That matters most ❤️Helping other families raise kind, safe, digitally blended humans is work worth doing.

This photo took 7️⃣ years.
I have lost 59kg through a commitment to my mental and physical health. Weekly walks with my family🚶‍♀️👨‍👩‍👧‍👦, first with babies in prams and now with legs that keep up beside me.
At the same time, I was raising 2 children, completing a PhD 🎓, and working full time, while also learning how to live with technology in a way that supported my mental and physical wellbeing, my relationships, and my attention, rather than draining them. Digital balance was, and is, something I practised while living it.

My mum died before I was engaged, and raising my children without her has been the hardest part of all of this 💔. However, I did not do this alone. My family carried me when I could not carry myself 🤍. I also found support, care and friendships through grief in

Today, my kids see me like this; relaxed, smiling, and fully present. I spent 2 hours disconnected in the pool, playing creatively with my 6 year old 🏊‍♀️✨, while my 3 year old was off at a party with his dad.

That moment did not happen by accident. Preparation made it possible. My sons both had swimming lessons from before they could crawl AND let’s not forget Sun safety!☀️ 50+ is a must.

Our health works just like digital life. We do not rely on luck. We build habits. We practise cyber hygiene. We create conditions that keep our children safe while they grow, both offline and online…blended.

This is what long term care looks like. Not perfection, but presence 🌱.
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❤️

Our children are always watching, not just what we say, but how we behave online.
They learn from how we speak in tough conversations, how we respond to criticism, and the thought we put into what we post.
When we lead with empathy and respect, especially when it's hard, we give them a real-life blueprint for navigating digital spaces with integrity.
Mistakes? Those are teachable moments too. What we model becomes what they carry into their own online lives. 🌍💬
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www.blendedcitizensproject.com.au