The South Australian Government will provide $250,000 to charity SmackTalk to develop a school and community education program focused on online harm and youth suicide prevention, with a pilot set to begin in 2027.
The funding will support 18 months of research and development before the program is introduced to selected South Australian schools and community organisations during Term 3 next year. It will also help train local facilitators with lived experience, develop teaching resources, undertake research and evaluation, and build partnerships with education and community sectors.
SmackTalk was founded by Victorian father Wayne Holdsworth after the death of his 17 year old son, Mac, in 2023. Mac died by suicide after falling victim to a sextortion scam in which he was manipulated by a middle aged man posing as a teenage girl online.
Since then, Holdsworth has become a leading advocate for greater awareness of online exploitation, youth suicide prevention and digital safety. Through SmackTalk, he has shared his family’s experience with schools, sporting clubs and community groups across Australia, responding to growing demand for presentations and education about the risks young people face online.
The South Australian Government said the latest funding recognises the charity’s growing role in helping families, educators and communities better understand online harms and how they can respond.
The grant will also support the launch of the SA Unplug24 campaign later this year, encouraging people to disconnect from social media for 24 hours as a way of promoting healthier digital habits and conversations about online wellbeing.
Premier Peter Malinauskas said protecting children from online harm remained a priority for his government and described SmackTalk’s work as life saving.
“We have led the world in getting kids off screens and we are committed to doing all we can to keep young people safe from online harm,” he said.
He said Holdsworth had turned a deeply personal tragedy into a mission to help prevent other families experiencing similar loss.
“I cannot even begin to imagine the extent of Wayne’s heartbreak and I commend him for his incredible mission to save lives,” the Premier said.
Holdsworth welcomed the funding, saying it would allow the organisation to reach more young people and communities.
“I am overwhelmed and so very grateful for the financial support of the Malinauskas Labor Government,” he said.
“This investment will save lives in South Australia through education and the financial and moral support from the Premier and his team has been incredible. Mac’s legacy continues.”
The new initiative builds on an earlier $10,000 donation from the South Australian Government to support SmackTalk’s work.
Holdsworth has also become a prominent voice in the national conversation around children’s online safety. He shared his family’s story through the Let Them Be Kids campaign led by News Corp Australia, which advocated for restrictions on social media access for children under the age of 16.
The latest funding forms part of a broader strategy by the Malinauskas Government to address online risks facing children and teenagers.
Among the measures already introduced are South Australia’s ban on mobile phones in classrooms, curriculum content covering the dangers of deepfakes, and a media literacy program delivered across all primary schools to help children distinguish reliable information from misinformation online.
The government has also backed programs encouraging parents to delay giving children smartphones, arguing that reducing early exposure to social media can improve wellbeing and limit harmful online experiences.
The announcement comes as governments, educators and mental health organisations continue to grapple with the growing impact of digital platforms on young people’s mental health. Researchers and youth advocates have pointed to cyberbullying, image based abuse, online grooming and sextortion as challenges requiring stronger prevention, education and support alongside regulation.
Mental health experts have long argued that education programs can play an important role in helping young people recognise harmful online behaviour, seek support early and understand that they are not alone if they become targets of abuse or coercion. At the same time, they note that education works best when combined with accessible mental health services, family engagement, digital literacy and effective law enforcement against online offenders.
South Australia’s investment in SmackTalk reflects that broader approach, placing education alongside existing policy measures aimed at reducing children’s exposure to online risks.
If the pilot proves successful, it could provide a model for expanding community based education on online safety and youth suicide prevention across the state, while continuing the conversation about how families, schools, governments and technology companies can work together to better protect young Australians in an increasingly connected world.
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