SWAN View online safety educator Paris McNeil has been nominated for a 2026 7NEWS Young Achiever Award for her work helping young people navigate Australia’s social media ban and broader digital challenges.

Ms McNeil was nominated in the Garlett Group Create Change Award category, which recognises young Western Australians creating a positive and lasting social impact through advocacy, education, and community initiatives.

The 26-year-old works as an online safety educator and youth engagement specialist, focusing on helping students, parents and schools better understand the rapidly changing digital world.

Ms McNeil has identified a major gap in public understanding when Australia announced its under-16 social media ban in 2024, with many young people and families unsure how the restrictions would work or what they would mean in practice.

Drawing on her legal background and experience working with young people, she shifted away from a traditional legal career to focus on translating complex digital policy into practical education sessions and resources.

Her work has included delivering dedicated education sessions across Western Australia explaining how the social media ban would operate, why it had been introduced and how students could prepare.

Ms McNeil has delivered more than 100 hours of social media ban education during 2025, reaching more than 12,000 students, parents, teachers, youth workers, local governments and community organisations across WA.

Regional communities were also a focus, with Ms McNeil travelling to areas including Albany and Kojonup to ensure young people outside metropolitan areas had access to the same education opportunities.

Her programs have since expanded beyond the social media ban to broader digital wellbeing issues including artificial intelligence, deepfakes and misinformation.

She has also undertaken public advocacy work, including more than 20 appearances across radio, print and television discussing online safety and support for young people during the rollout of the social media restrictions.

Ms McNeil’s workshops focused on practical advice and open discussion, allowing students to voice frustrations and concerns while helping them better understand the changes affecting them online.

The 7NEWS Young Achiever Awards recognise the achievements of Western Australians aged 29 and under across a range of categories.