Screentime, Cyberbullying, 'Sextortion' and Safety with Kirra Pendergast

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Technology has come so far, so fast. With cyberbullying, sexting, and exploitation, parents today have a big challenge to face. It may feel daunting, unknown, unescapable, and we can often feel helpless, but we don’t have to navigate this alone. In today’s episode, we talk with Kirra Pendergast, founder of Safe on Socials, and an expert on the ways in which we can work with our children to create loving boundaries around tech in the home. She shares some key advice on doing this in a way that maintains connection and safety. Kirra says that we need to ask the right questions so that our children feel safe, and know what to do when they don’t. 

👉  Kirra Gets Real and Shares About

• ‘Safe on Social’ - the story behind it and its educational tools
• Maintaining your relationship with your child in the age of tech and social media
• How to co-create safety measures with your children on social and gaming platforms
• The dangers behind having too much of your personal information available online
• Child-exploitation
• How to keep the channel of communication open and honest with your children about what is happening to them online
• “Chat Features” on games and social media and the heavy conversations we need to have about them
• “Sextortion”
• The importance of parental controls
• The ‘Self- Esteem Minefield’ and the appropriate age for Social Media
• Cyberbullying and 5 essential tips to help your child through it

👉Resources and References  

Safe on Social Media

Christine Jackman- Turning Down the Noise

Parents Toolkit

wildlingsforestschool.com/shop

https://www.wildlingsforestschool.com/free-downloadables

👉 Guest Details  

After a 20+ year career in Cyber Security and IT Business Consulting, Kirra founded Australia's first consulting firm focused on Cyber Safety. KCL Business Solutions completed eSafety Risk Reviews, Policy Development, and Training Solutions for major Qld Government departments and businesses. In 2014 Kirra Pendergast founded Safe on Social Media Pty Ltd after experiencing serious and relentless cyberbullying and trolling herself.

Kirra speaks on the topic of Cyber Safety and her own experience with serious cyber bullying, to 1000's of people each week. Kirra presents to students K-12, teachers and parents at schools across Australia and New Zealand. She is also regularly asked to speak at legal seminars, government and business events, conferences and consults too, and advises organisations in Australia, the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States.

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