With Australia’s recent decision to raise the minimum age for social media to 16, we are entering a new chapter in how we think about children, technology, and safety. While much of the conversation has rightly focused on protection, there is another important question to consider: What kind of digital experiences do we actually want young children to have?

As a criminologist, I look at how environments influence behaviour over time. What we offer children in their earliest years matters. The digital spaces they step into are not just backdrops for entertainment. They are environments that can either reinforce risks or strengthen protective factors, shaping the skills and values children carry into adolescence and beyond.

Children learn by observing. They notice how others treat one another, how problems are solved, and how differences are handled. Stories play a powerful role in this process. Through characters and narratives, children see cooperation, empathy, fairness, and patience put into action, then begin to model those behaviours in their own lives.

Prosocial behaviours such as kindness, sharing, and problem-solving are not abstract ideas. They are daily practices that children absorb and rehearse. Stories provide safe spaces where they can explore these lessons and apply them in ways that build social and emotional growth.

If we focus only on restriction, we miss the chance to ask what positive environments could look like. Prevention is most effective when it goes beyond removing risks and offers healthy, constructive alternatives.

Raising the age for social media access is one step, but safety is not only about what children are kept away from. It is also about what they are intentionally offered in its place.

Children are always observing, and the digital world is part of what they see. Every story and every interaction is an opportunity to model kindness, fairness, courage, and care. By designing with these values in mind, we not only reduce harm but also create the foundation for children to grow into thoughtful, capable, and compassionate people.

The choices we make now about children’s digital environments will echo for years to come. If we treat technology only as something to restrict, we miss the chance to shape it as a tool for growth. If we see it as an extension of early learning and social development, we can offer children not just safety, but the chance to thrive.

The real opportunity is to shift our focus from fear to purpose, creating digital spaces that allow the next generation to grow with empathy, resilience, and curiosity, and to become the best versions of themselves.