Ms Barnbrook comes fresh from London, where she attended the Women Changing the World Global Awards as a finalist.
The global awards program sets out to recognise the work of women across the world in enacting positive change on various industries.
For her work in advocating for digital safety, Ms Barnbrook was awarded Volunteer of the Year and honoured for Youth Impact.
Despite this notable acclaim, Ms Barnbrook said her biggest takeaway from the event was the powerful energy felt in the room.
“I’m really excited to receive Volunteer of the Year on a global scale,” Ms Barnbrook said.
“But, to meet with other like-minded women that are really driven and excited about the world and trying to make a difference.
“It was great to be a part of that.”
Ms Barnbrook, who recently spoke at a United Nations session of the Commission on the Status of Women in New York, is the founder of not-for-profit Away From Keyboard (AFK) Inc.
AFK serves as a resource for children, youth and carers who are experiencing emotional distress, social isolation, and overwhelm as a result of the increasingly digital world.
While this work is extensive and multi-faceted, Ms Barnbrook said education was at the crux of digital change.
“We need to support our regional schools, our kids are already disadvantaged because we don’t have the same access as they do in the city,” Ms Barnbrook said.
“We’re more at risk here, if we don’t have access to technology, we don’t have access to the information.”
As we enter a world where technology becomes the reality, it is important to be mindful of the dangers of the online space.
A lack of policy and regulation of social media and other digital platforms creates issues that can be difficult to navigate.
With AFK, Ms Barnbrook aims to support those with a lack of digital literacy and educate on how technology can be unsafe to, especially, children.
Despite the risks associated with technology, however, Ms Barnbrook remains optimistic on the future of STEM and the digital world.
“As much as I speak about the dangers of it, there are also so many fantastic, amazing things that I can talk about,” Ms Barnbrook said.
“I’m not against AI or technology, which I think is what I often get mislabelled as.
“It’s not the case at all, I’m really passionate and I love it.
“I think we can harness and utilise it; it’s our future.”
Ms Barnbrook’s global recognition may act as an aid to amplify her advocacy efforts.
This has the potential to enact change on the industry, and highlight these issues to key policymakers.
“It’s helpful for me to be able to fulfil my purpose, which is raising awareness,” Ms Barnbrook said.
“I think it’s that credibility, because I am busy in this space.
“I know I’m not an expert in these spaces, but I am able to listen to the experts, and I think my skill is understanding what they are saying and then explaining it to other people.”
Although this commendation is a significant win for Ms Barnbrook, her advocacy is far from slowing down.
On May 21, Ms Barnbrook is set to take the stage at the Strathbogie Shire Volunteer’s Week event in Nagambie, with more details to come.
To keep up-to-date on Ms Barnbrook’s work, visit https://afk.org.au/
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