Age-Appropriate Chats

When is it too early to start talking to children about sex, drugs, alcohol, suicide, and mental illness?

We are already behind. The train carrying technology and social media has long left the station, and instead of debating whether children should be exposed to certain topics, we are now faced with a far more urgent reality: they already are. While adults hesitate, whisper, or place difficult conversations in the “too-hard” basket, technology has not paused. Everything is available, visible, audible, and easily imitated.

So why are we still whispering?

Often, the reason is fear. We worry that talking about “delicate” subjects might introduce ideas children are not yet ready for. We cling to the hope that innocence still exists and hesitate to disrupt it. But how can we be certain that children don’t already know? How do we know that even very young children aren’t discussing what they’ve heard from older siblings, friends, television, or parents expressing despair?

Children talk to each other because thinking out loud helps them make sense of their world. But they also need guidance to interpret what they hear in playground conversations, online spaces, and social environments. When left unaddressed, these messages can become their default way of thinking. We do not want children to believe that suicide is an option when life becomes overwhelming. We need to show them what another option looks like.

Unless a child is completely disconnected from technology, media, and social interaction—which is increasingly rare—it is wiser to assume they know far more than we think. Social media and digital platforms deliver constant exposure to war, environmental destruction, pandemics, violence, and despair. Some of these images are more confronting than anything previous generations encountered, and many young people actively seek out even more intense content through gaming, streaming, and online communities.

Before we hide behind the concept of “age-appropriate” education, we must first acknowledge what children already know. That reality should form the foundation of any curriculum designed to meet their actual needs. Technology has reshaped education, parenting, and childhood itself. We can no longer rely on assumptions of innocence. Education must begin earlier, be ongoing, and be designed not only for the present but for the future.

In Australia, suicide remains one of the leading causes of death among teenagers and young adults. For every death by suicide, hundreds more people seriously consider it. This tells us something fundamental has shifted—just as rapidly as technology, culture, and global stability have shifted.

When change happens faster than culture can adapt, children often lose their sense of connection. Parents and teachers are frequently the first voices they tune out, while peers and social media become their primary sources of guidance. Yet both can be harsh, unforgiving, and emotionally unsafe. For a child who is peer-oriented and emotionally detached from caregivers, a friendship breakdown, relationship loss, or public humiliation online can feel catastrophic. When their perceived foundation collapses, suicidal thoughts can emerge.

The trauma of suicide within a community is profound and long-lasting. Schools are often unaware that a student is living with a depressed or suicidal parent or sibling until tragedy occurs. When it does, the impact ripples through the entire school community, whether they are prepared or not.

This is why Mental Health Education matters. And it must be taught creatively—not through lectures or PowerPoint slides, but through meaningful, engaging experiences. Children need to understand how their minds work, how emotions rise and fall, and how to navigate stress and adversity. Empathy, resilience, and grit are not innate traits; they are skills that must be taught, practiced, and reinforced.

These skills should sit alongside math, science, and literacy as core components of education. When children learn how their minds influence their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, schools can cultivate a growth mindset rather than a fixed one. Children with a growth mindset are less likely to turn to despair, substance use, or suicidal thinking when life becomes difficult.

The cost of failing to teach these foundational skills is already visible. Untreated mental health challenges often manifest as physical illness, placing an ever-increasing burden on the public health system. The question we must ask is simple: where will we be in five years if nothing changes?

Whether the subject is suicide, drugs, sex, technology or emotions, repeated exposure to clear, positive messaging—supported by visuals and storytelling—creates lasting neural pathways. Over time, this becomes a child’s default way of thinking. This is how real cultural change occurs.

Instead of trying to shield children from a world they already see, we should focus on strengthening their ability to cope with it. Some content is undeniably distressing and should be filtered where possible, but we cannot always swipe away what appears before us. Our responsibility is to make our message stronger, clearer, and more compelling than the noise surrounding them.

Written by

Giovanna Fera