Dangerous Digital Trends

Recently, our Year 12 students engaged in one of those timely and significant conversations.

I have been writing about adolescence as being a time of identity formation, emotional complexity, and growing moral awareness. These years can be messy, stretching, and transformative - and they are also filled with extraordinary potential.

This year, the introduction of Pastoral Care lessons into the timetable has opened a new opportunity for us as a College to walk alongside our students more intentionally in the space of wellbeing.

Our girls Pastoral Care group did not shy away from this confronting topic of Deepfakes.

They engaged in a very passionate and thoughtful debate - advocating for their rights, reflecting on digital ethics, and recognising the impact of image-based abuse on real lives. Their wisdom, clarity, daring enthusiasm, and empathy shone.

According to the eSafety Commissioner, explicit deepfakes have increased by up to 550% year on year since 2019, with pornographic content making up 98% of all deepfake material - and 99% of that imagery targeting women and girls. We encourage you to read a blog from the National eSafety Commissioner (Source: eSafety Commissioner blog).

In their Pastoral Care group, the boys unpacked what it means to be a positive male role model and how strength can be expressed through compassion, responsibility, and respectful relationships. Their conversation was grounded in honesty and a genuine desire to grow into good men - ones who uplift others and lead with integrity.

As educators, we are often reminded that working with teenagers is a privilege. Why?

• Because they are brave enough to ask hard questions and hold space for difficult truths.
• Because they are forming values and character that will shape not just their futures, but the future of our communities.
• Because they let us see glimmers of hope, resilience, and justice in the way they care for one another and the world they are living in.

This year, the introduction of Pastoral Care lessons into the timetable has opened a new opportunity for us as a College to walk alongside our students more intentionally in the space of wellbeing. These sessions allow time to explore complex issues, build social-emotional skills, and offer space for meaningful conversations that matter to young people today. We (students and teachers) are travelling this road together, navigating how best to support and guide students in a rapidly changing world.

We are so proud of the Class of 2025. They are engaged, and willing to wrestle with the big questions. And while these conversations aren’t always easy, they are vital. I know I speak for many of my colleagues when I say that we feel honoured and humbled to witness this in our young people.

Morgan Brookes
Head of Senior School