Australian children are increasingly online. This report analyses the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) to understand the experiences of technology use for a group of young Australians. The research considers children and young people’s access to digital technologies by different socio-economic groups and their online safety experiences.

Understanding the social, economic and cultural factors that impact young people’s online experiences can inform decision-making on digital policies for the current generation of Australian children.

Key findings

• Children’s digital connectivity differs by socioeconomic background.
• The gap in access to digital technology between children in major cities and children in remote areas has narrowed slightly over time.
• Mobile phones appear to facilitate digital connectivity for children who belong to groups experiencing higher rates of digital exclusion.
• Children with disability are one group that experience disproportionately lower mobile phone access.
• Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children have lower rates of access to the internet and computers at home than non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children.
• A large share of Australian youth act to protect themselves from online harm.