eSmart week 2026 kicks off with a focus on positive connections

Can you tell the difference between real news and fake news?

According to UNICEF research, a worrying number of young people lack the media literacy* skills needed to navigate a world where misinformation*, disinformation* and fake news are becoming harder to spot.

This knowledge gap among kids is why the Alannah & Madeline Foundation has invited all schools, libraries and the wider community to take part in National eSmart Week, from Monday 30 March to Sunday 5 April 2026.

This year’s theme – Be Connected. Be eSmart. – focuses on bringing together communities to shape an online world where children and young people can safely thrive wherever they live, learn and play.

While “connection” is one of digital technology’s greatest benefits, not all young people have equal access to safe online spaces.

The Foundation said this year’s eSmart theme was chosen to encourage healthier connections to one another, links to technologies that support children and young people and to tackle the fact that certain types of technology use leave too many young people isolated and at risk.

One of the reasons kids can feel isolated is that social media platforms were designed to keep users constantly engaged.

If you have ever found it hard to put the screen down – even after hours of scrolling – it’s because the platform was deliberately designed that way, to keep you hooked.

And too much scrolling on social media has a very negative effect on your dopamine* levels, which can lead to bad feelings like depression, fatigue* and an inability to focus.

Last week, a US jury in California found Instagram owner Meta and YouTube owner Google guilty of designing platforms that were addictive* and harmful to children’s mental health.

The landmark ruling followed a New Mexico jury ordering Meta to pay US$375 million for violating consumer protection* law and putting profits* ahead of safety.

University of Sydney deputy director of Sydney Health Law Dr Chrisopher Rudge said as part of the verdict, the jury found the technology platforms were designed to deliberately keep users scrolling for as long as possible, something that subsequently “caused genuine psychiatric* injury to a child.”

University of Sydney digital cultures senior lecturer Dr Joanne Gray said the jury found that “Meta puts profits over user safety.”

“This jury decision sends a clear message to all the Big Tech platforms: they need to do better, especially when it comes to keeping kids safe,” Dr Gray said.

Add the sudden takeoff of artificial intelligence (AI) to these addictive social media algorithms* and the online environment has become an overloaded buffet of never-ending, questionable content.

Unfortunately, recent research shows many Australian children simply lack the media literacy skills needed to safely wade through the digital swamp, where misinformation and disinformation are so rife and platform designs knowingly keep everyone hooked.

According to UNICEF Australia, less than half (43 per cent) of young people believe it is important to verify* information before sharing, leading to the spread of misinformation.

In addition, 15 per cent of young people claim to have shared information online that they later discovered was false, while 7 per cent admit that they have shared information online that they knew was untrue.

All up, only 34 per cent of young people feel confident in their ability to identify misinformation.

Data from the eSafety Commission shows 3 in 5 children (60 per cent) have seen or heard online hate, while over 1 in 4 (27 per cent) have personally experienced it. Almost 3 in 4 (74 per cent) children have seen or heard content associated with harm online such as sexist* content, violence, and content that encouraged unhealthy eating or dangerous and illegal acts presented as “challenges”.

Critically, more than 1 in 2 children (53 per cent) have experienced cyber-bullying.

Recent surveys conducted for the Alannah & Madeline Foundation have also found that 71 per cent of teachers are concerned about the impacts of social media, while 56 per cent are concerned specifically with AI-related harm.

The eSmart program aims to teach Aussie kids media and AI literacy by building critical thinking skills so kids can become responsible digital citizens now, when they’re already constantly surrounded by and always engaging with multiple forms of digital media.

Speaking ahead of eSmart Week, Alannah & Madeline Foundation CEO Sarah Davies AM said that while online risks were real, the ultimate goal was to move from a focus on protecting children to one of supporting their digital agency*.

“Children have a fundamental right to be safe online,” she said. “Creating digital spaces where they can flourish requires a unified effort from government, tech, educators and families.

“The eSmart program helps students think critically about the content they encounter, arming them against misinformation and harm from algorithms while giving educators the tools to support their students.”

ABOUT NATIONAL eSMART WEEK
Teacher and parent subscribers to National eSmart Week receive a free e-book with a calendar of virtual events, links to resources and lesson plans, and tips to help educators and students share their eSmart experiences.

“eSmart Week is a chance to reach young people and those that care for them and give them the tools they need to stay safe online,” said Ms. Davies. “Whether it’s at school, at home or in a community setting, the eSmart program is designed to ensure children and young people are connected and engaged online without comprising their safety or wellbeing.”

For more information, teachers and parents can visit alannahandmadeline.org.au/news/get-ready-for-national-esmart-week-2026

POLL

GLOSSARY

• media literacy: the critical thinking and practical skills needed to identify fake news, misinformation and disinformation, such as knowing how to verify a source, understanding how bad actors manipulate information, being able to spot fake social media profiles and being able to safely navigate the world of online gaming and social media
• misinformation: false or inaccurate information
• disinformation: false information that has been circulated with the intention of misleading people
• dopamine: a neurotransmitter that helps to regulate the brain's reward and motivation centre. Dopamine is released when something grabs our attention or when we experience something enjoyable, signalling to the brain that we should repeat that behaviour again and again, sometimes leading to addiction depending on what caused the release
• fatigue: extreme tiredness, feeling like you have no energy to complete your usual daily activities
• addictive: something you feel compelled to do over and over again that is extremely hard to stop doing, even if you know it’s causing you harm
• consumer protection: laws designed to protect people against unfair, fraudulent and deceptive business practices in order to ensure safety, accuracy of information and fair trade
• profits: the money made by a business through its business activities, whether providing a service, selling products or both
• psychiatric: relating to mental illness
• algorithms: a set of rules and data signals that determine the type of content that shows up on your social media feed. The algorithms recommend content based on previous likes and shares as well as your personal data, including gender, age and culture
• verify: check for accuracy
• sexist: discrimination or prejudice against someone based on their sex, most commonly aimed at women
• digital agency: taking an active role in staying safe online by employing digital media literacy skills while navigating the online environment

EXTRA READING
What scrolling does to your brain
‘Social’ habits harming kids of Oz
Weird ways tech could be changing our skeletons

QUICK QUIZ
1. What media literacy skills are Australian kids lacking?
2. Why is it often difficult to disengage from social media?
3. What negative impact does hours of scrolling have on your health?
4. What percentage of young people feel confident in their ability to identify misinformation?
5. What proportion of Australian kids have experienced cyber-bullying?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Conduct your own mini survey
Formulate your own questions regarding online safety, based on ideas from this news story. Survey your classmates to find the answers to your questions. Then create a graph or graphic to visually show one of the results. Write a short explanation talking about this data point.

Time: allow 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English; Mathematics; Digital Literacy

2. Extension
Have you ever played the game 'Two Truths and a Lie'? This activity is kind of like the game. Write three short “social media post-style” stories about yourself, making two of them truthful and one fake. Present them to a classmate (who doesn’t already know you well) and see if they can guess the lie.

Now imagine that rather than you making things up about yourself, AI is doing it and sharing online. Write a sentence about how this thought makes you feel.

Time: allow 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English; Digital Literacy

VCOP ACTIVITY
Vocabulary recycle
There is some vivid vocabulary being used in the article, and I am not just talking about the glossary words. Go through the article and highlight the high-level language that you are impressed by in yellow.

See if you can borrow two of these wow words to reuse in your own way.

Remember vocabulary is a great way to connect with the audience, but you need to think about who your audience is so you make great word choices.

Who will the audience be in your recycled sentences?