Insights
Is a Screen-Free Childhood Realistic?
Debating the 2024 buzzword that has set digital parenting alight A screen-free childhood is the buzzword of the last few months in child online safety. In his recent book, The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt offers a bold proposal: delay children’s exposure to smartphones until high school and restrict social media access until at least age
Digital Citizenship Week: Are Schools Failing the Online Safety Test?
Let’s be blunt: Are we really doing enough to prepare our kids for the digital world they face every day? Digital Citizenship Week kicks off on 14th October, and it’s a wake-up call for schools to step up. It’s not just about tech skills anymore—it’s about teaching young people how to survive and thrive in
Can kids have a screen-free childhood? Really?
Introduction Smartphones and social media have become inescapable parts of our children’s lives. But as their screen time increases, so do concerns about the impact on their mental health. According to experts like Professor Jonathan Haidt, social media is a significant contributor to rising levels of anxiety, depression, and loneliness in teens. The evidence is
Instagram Teen Accounts: A Welcome (But Long Overdue) Safety Measure?
Instagram’s announcement of Teen Accounts is a sigh of relief for parents who’ve spent years worrying about their children’s safety online. The new features—default private accounts, messaging restrictions, content filters, time limits, and sleep mode—are a clear step in the right direction for protecting teens on the platform. On the surface, it looks like a
Suicide Awareness Month – Unpacking the Complex Digital Landscape
As we observe Suicide Awareness Month this September, the relentless pressures of the digital world, from comparison culture to cyberbullying, contribute significantly to rising rates of anxiety, depression, and, tragically, youth suicide. It’s time to confront these complexities head-on, offering a deeper understanding and proactive solutions to support our youth. Understanding the emotional landscape of
Tackling SA’s Adolescent Social Media Crisis
SA award-winners, MySociaLife, unveil the ‘ModernMinds Series’, eight new modern life skills lessons for teens and pre-teens South Africa – 22 August 2024 – Vaping, social media safety, fake news, mind health and AI; these are the new lessons that our kids are now needing as the world races into a tech-driven future. Answering the demand,
EdTech Champions of Online Safety, MySociaLife, Triumph at SA’s Top Five Start-Ups
Cape Town, South Africa – MySociaLife, the pioneering EdTech company, has been honoured as one of South Africa’s top five start-ups at the esteemed Heavy Chef Awards 2023, dedicated to supporting rising businesses across the nation. After a rigorous selection process, MySociaLife emerged victorious from an initial pool of 120 companies, further narrowed down to 12 finalists
YouthQuake! Marketers, brace yourselves.
by GenZ Expert Dean McCoubrey. If you’ve ever watched a rally (no, not political), you’ll probably remember the wide-eyed unpredictability of every turn, the careful observation of the navigator to manage the terrain, and the damaging cost of reading the road incorrectly. As someone who owns a marketing agency, and also an education company that focuses
World Password Day 2023
World Password Day is observed on May 4 this year, and it is a day when people are reminded of the importance of strong passwords in protecting their online accounts. With the increase in cybercrime, it has become essential to secure our digital lives, and the first step towards achieving this is by having strong
