Kirra Pendergast
Youth Voice - Monthly Trending Topics
I am Kirra Pendergast, and it is with great excitement that I introduce our new monthly newsletter, a resource designed to keep parents,...
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Safe on Social Blog
Kirra Pendergast
US Government Takes Action for Responsible and Trustworthy AI Development
As the UK prepares for its first AI Safety summit, the US government has issued a significant directive aimed at fostering the secure and...
Kirra Pendergast
The Escalation of Online Aggression Among Teens and Tweens Post-Covid
A Guide for Parents and Guardians (schools please feel free to publish part or all if you choose) The post-Covid era seems to have...
Kirra Pendergast
This is Safe on Social - Jacinta Saxton
I grew up in NSW but have called Victoria home for over 15 years. I live in a small country town called Yarragon, a well-known tourist...
Kirra Pendergast
Urgent update on Roblox and Online Safety
I want to share some crucial insights and feedback from our discussions with Primary school-age children over the past few weeks,...
Kirra Pendergast
Bold Insights into AI and Misinformation
Frances Haugen, who worked at Facebook and is known for revealing some big secrets about the company, recently spoke at the National...
Kirra Pendergast
Navigating the World of AI Celebrity Alter-Egos on Social Media
Social media is evolving, and a new trend has emerged, capturing a lot of attention. Companies like Meta have created AI (Artificial...
Kirra Pendergast
Who is liable for what? Educating Young Minds on Internet Law and Regulation
Understanding the nuances of social media law and regulation is beneficial and essential, especially for young people who are not only...
Kirra Pendergast
Roblox accused of allowing gambling sites to target minors
Roblox is also accused of profiting from the scheme through a 30% fee on the conversion of Robux back into real currency. The claim is...
Kirra Pendergast
What is a Pig Butchering Scam?
It's a terrible name but something we all need to know about now! Please share with your friends and family. Pig butchering become an...
Kirra Pendergast
Are the state governments unintentionally widening the digital divide?
A few weeks ago, I held a webinar for teachers called "Navigating AI in Education" there were more than 400 hundred that attended. This...
Kirra Pendergast
Preparing Students for their future, not our past.....
The Russell Group of Universities in 2023 world rankings had four of the top ten universities in the world. Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial...
Madeleine West
‘Sometimes I like to dress my avatar in a furry costume…other players tell me I should kill myself'
‘Sometimes I like to dress my avatar in a furry costume…but other players tell me I should kill myself.’ The 12-year-old before me sees...
Kirra Pendergast
Back to the future.
Back in '91, when I first dived into the tech world, things were very different. We were still using those "in" and "out" trays on our...
Kirra Pendergast
From 'Playing' online games to 'Visiting' online worlds. Why we need an urgent shift in language.
We need an urgent change in our language and approach to gaming and social media usage. The strategies and language utilised by some...
Kirra Pendergast
Generation Embarrassed The first Ultrasound photos shared on Facebook are now 16.
Tucked away in a corner of Facebook, an ultrasound image, swathed in grayscale tones, marks the beginning of a digital narrative for an...
Kirra Pendergast
Picture-Perfect Privacy A Guide to Responsible Sharing of Your Kids' Photos
Please take a moment to read this, being set to private is no longer enough. This is a blog post I wrote has just been published by The...
Kirra Pendergast
Social Media Grief Etiquette and Death in the Age of Social Media
The digital age has drastically changed how we communicate and share information, including how we grieve and handle death. Social media...
Rikki
WTF is Watertok, and why should we be worried?
A food fad or edible trend is not uncommon on TikTok. Cloud bread, mug cake, baked oats, and pink sauce are all famous for becoming...
Kirra Pendergast
A long post that is 10yrs in the making.
I will be discussing cyberbullying, suicide, and other potentially triggering topics. Here is my background for context. My name is Kirra...
Kirra Pendergast
The Urgent Call for Facial Recognition Laws in Australia - Balancing Security and Privacy
As facial recognition technology (FRT) becomes more prevalent, concerns about its impact on fundamental human rights, such as privacy and...
Kirra Pendergast
The Illusion of Privacy. Why Banning TikTok Won't Solve the Larger Problem
Focusing on TikTok's Chinese ownership diverts attention from a broader issue concerning social media apps and their functionality. This...
Kirra Pendergast
Criticising celebrities on social media is still a form of cyberbullying
In a world where everyone has a voice through social media, getting caught up in the whirlwind of opinions and emotions surrounding...
Kirra Pendergast
Lemon8: The New Social Media App Taking the World by Storm
The rapid rise of Lemon8 by Bytedance (parent company of TikTok) again highlights the increasing challenges for parents, guardians, and...
Kirra Pendergast
Vapes and Social Media - What parents can do.
"Vapes" are readily available and very accessible to teenagers (and in some cases tweens), as many are purchasing them through social...
Kirra Pendergast
TikTok 60min limit Under 18s
Last night TikTok announced that accounts owned by those under 18 will automatically have a one-hour daily limit, which cannot be...
Anna
Babysitting on Social Media is Risky Business
Trigger Warning: This post discusses child-related abuse One of the most convenient uses of the internet for busy parents and caregivers...
Annie Fardell Hartley
Why community is the only real suicide safety mechanism on social media
Trigger Warning: This article discusses suicide The chances are you have seen posts relating to suicidal thoughts or plans on a social...
Andrea
Why my new high schooler won’t be having a phone
I’ve reached that point that I have been dreading. My husband and I don’t dislike technology, we know it’s important, but we do dislike...
Kirra Pendergast
Parental Controls and Politics
This week, in the middle of his election campaign, the Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison announced, "Under a re-elected Morrison...
Kirra Pendergast
Important Online Safety Notice - Huggy Wuggy
We received a message through Facebook alerting us to frightening videos of Huggy Wuggy, a seemingly innocent blue teddy bear that turns...
Kirra Pendergast
PARENT TIPS DURING LOCKDOWN
Schooling online and spending more time online during lockdowns should not mean that kids have free reign. When talking with your kids...
Kirra Pendergast
Why we need much more than consent training in our schools to stop sexual assault - by Maggie Dent
Read the full story here: https://www.maggiedent.com/blog/why-we-need-much-more-than-consent-training-in-our-schools-to-stop-sexual-assau...
Kirra Pendergast
Teen text language in 2021
TRIGGER WARNING – EXPLICIT CONTENT & DRUG TALK Text speak has certainly made it interesting for teachers and parents to try and...
Kirra Pendergast
Young people, online pornography and the law
This section refers specifically to pornography and youth. It outlines the law around viewing, producing and sending pornography and the...
Kirra Pendergast
Sexting and Tweens
We have decided to write a start to what is a very big conversation. We often get messages from parents that have found conversations and...
Kirra Pendergast
For Parents of TikTok users under 18yrs.
It is vital that all parents check that their child has entered the correct DOB when creating an account. The new security provision for...
Kirra Pendergast
Online safety tips for parents to keep their kids safe this holiday season.
Whether your child is receiving their first device, or they may be online more over the holidays. Remember you wouldn't give your child...
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