Australia has taken a historic step by being the first nation to implement regulations limiting children's access to specific social media platforms until the age of sixteen. This decision, heavily influenced by respected psychologist and expert on children's digital safety, Pendergast, aims to address the growing concerns over the impact of social media on young minds. Her research and first-hand accounts played a pivotal role in shaping the Australian government's new measures, which include a pilot project designed to assess the effectiveness of these regulations in protecting children.

In an interview, Pendergast discusses the challenges of merely educating children about digital safety, emphasizing that explanations alone are insufficient in the complex digital world. She questions the rationale behind the government's focus on regulating children's access rather than addressing the social media platforms themselves. Her own journey into advocating for these restrictions reflects a deep concern for child protection, which has evolved as she realized the extent to which children can bypass safety measures, like using VPNs, to access content intended for older audiences.

Despite the skepticism around the effectiveness of these measures, especially as many children in Australia find ways to circumvent them, Pendergast remains optimistic. She believes that these regulations represent a necessary step towards ensuring children's online safety while calling for more comprehensive efforts to tackle the underlying issues of social media influence on young users. The conversation around this policy could serve as a model for other countries grappling with similar challenges.