Growing Up Digital

‘Growing Up Digital is a lifeline for parents and carers navigating the digital jungle. Susan’s advice is grounded in decades of frontline experience, international training, and a passion for child safety that’s second to none. Her work has helped hundreds of thousands of families and schools, and her influence stretches from Parliament House to the family dinner table.’ – Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, bestselling author and adolescent psychologist
Our children are true digital natives, growing up in a world where their friendships, learning and even identity are shaped online. But with this comes risks that parents never experienced themselves. In recent years, alarming new threats have emerged – sextortion, blackmail, deepfakes and image-based abuse – adding to the ongoing dangers of cyberbullying, grooming, pornography, sexting and problematic screen use.

Growing Up Digital is the essential guide for today’s online world. Written by internationally recognised cyber-safety expert Susan McLean, this book tackles the urgent challenges now facing families.

With clarity, compassion and authority, McLean offers a conversational, easy-to-use handbook to give your children their ‘digital armour’. Packed with real-life case studies, up-to-date resources, clear explanations of the law and trusted links for further support, Growing Up Digital empowers parents and educators to act with confidence. From teaching teens how to manage their digital reputation and social media, to opening conversations about the toughest of issues, this is a practical roadmap for families navigating a rapidly changing landscape.

Susan McLean is the go-to voice for internet child safety, trusted by schools, governments and families across Australia and around the world. With no other resource offering the same depth of expertise or breadth of advice, Growing Up Digital is a must-have for every parent and teacher – a lifeline for raising a safe, resilient and informed generation in today’s online world.

‘Reading McLean’s book is at least, in this digital world, one place where parents can seek advice.’ – Daily Telegraph on Sexts, Texts & Selfies

Author Biography

Susan McLean is Australia’s leading cybersafety expert and media commentator. Widely known as the ‘Cyber Cop’, she was a member of Victoria Police for 27 years and has extensive national and international experience and qualifications. Susan consults to a variety of education stakeholders, including students, school leadership and parents, and is a sought-after presenter and adviser to elite sports clubs in the AFL and AFLW, Cricket Australia, Tennis Australia, Melbourne United and Netball Victoria. Her corporate work has seen her speak to organisations including Myer, Goldman Sachs, Bupa, Australia Post and Coles. Susan was one of the very first Trusted Education providers and has supported the Office of the eSafety Commissioner and its messages since its inception in 2015. In 2014 Susan published the bestselling Sexts, Texts & Selfies: How to keep your children safe in the digital space, with a revised and updated edition released in 2018. Growing Up Digital is her second book.