A writer and a youth advocate, Anne has been writing about youth and digital media since 1997. She is the founder and executive director of a non-profit organisation called The Net Safety Collaborative, which runs NetFamilyNews.org and piloted a social media helpline for schools in California. Anne serves on the trust & safety councils of several large tech companies, including Meta, Roblox, YouTube and Teleperformance, and has served on three US national task forces on youth and Internet safety. Anne has co-authored numerous articles, chapters and academic papers on youth digital practices, mental health and wellbeing and human dignity in cyberbullying prevention. She is co-editor of a book on youth, social media and mental health to be published soon by the American Psychiatric Association. 1:55 – Anne’s journey as a writer and advocate in youth and digital media  4:26 – Changes in online safety, citizenship and literacy over the years 6:59 – Metaverse and generative AI  9:40 – Pressing online safety concerns for youth today  13:56 – Most common types of fears youth express about online safety 15:28 – Advice for parents on how to support their children  18:31 – Importance of granting children agency  21:55 – Significant research findings that have inspired Anne’s approach  23:32 – Advocating for the inclusion of youth’s voices in shaping online safety policies  29:44 – What the Gen Zers are saying  32:36 – Hopes and aspirations for the future of youth and digital media Follow Anne: Website: https://www.netfamilynews.org/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/annecollier LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annecollier/  Follow k-ID:  Website: https://www.k-id.com/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/k_identify LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/k-id  

Amber is an online safety expert, with more than 15 years’ experience building strategy and programmes as well as conducting policy and legal advocacy across different sectors. Most recently, she was the Asia-Pacific Head of Safety for Meta (previously Facebook), where she led Meta’s engagement with NGOs, experts and policy makersacross the region on issues including child safety and online well-being, to improve policies, products, tools, and resources to keep the online community safe. Previously, Amber spent over a decade combating human trafficking and online child sexual exploitation. Content Warning: This episode contains references to online child sexual abuse and exploitation.  1:56 – Online risks that children are facing today 7:08 – Key challenges that tech companies are currently facing in their mission to ensure child online safety 14:26 – Latest regulatory developments  24:20 – How to strike a balance between protecting children online while not overly compromising the user experience  29:39 – How to address the digital divide 32:54 – What does successful cross-sector collaboration look like Follow Amber: Website: https://pearlconsult.com/team/1533/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amberjhawkes  Follow k-ID:  Website: https://www.k-id.com/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/k_identify LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/k-id  

Nina Bual and Michelle Yao are co-founders of Cyberlite, a social impact agency that specialises in cybersafety education for students aged 7-17. Their mission is to inspire change and enable a sustainable, equitable world through diverse education. Today, Cyberlite has a footprint across 16 countries, with a focus on Asia Pacific.  Our discussion in this episode focuses on Nina’s and Michelle’s work in the cybersafety and digital well-being space. It started off with a simple idea – a children’s book about cybersafety called Ready, Get Set, Connect!. Michelle and Nina set out to deliver cyber education in a way that is both memorable and engaging. Now, they have one clear objective with their cybersafety and digital wellbeing education: to prepare students with the right tools and skills to become Internet Independent. Timestamps 1:00 – Introducing Cyberlite and Cyberlite’s mission 5:16 – Ready, Get Set, Connect! – cyber safety handbook for children and parents 8:53 – Positive outcomes resulting from Cyberlite’s work with schools and government agencies 12:35 – Recent trends & challenges in promoting cybersafety and digital well-being education 19:10 – Internet Independent Framework 23:22 – Tailoring strategies to address the diverse needs of children with different backgrounds 26:02 – Educating children about sensitive topics like cyberbullying and groomers  28:06 – How schools and public agencies can better integrate cyber safety and digital wellbeing education into their curriculum and policies 30:57 – How to get involved with Cyberlite’s mission to inspire change in the cyber safety and digital wellbeing space 32:11 – Future plans and aspirations  Follow Cyberlite: Website: https://www.cyberlitebooks.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cyberlitekids/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cyberlitebooks/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cyberlitebooks/  Follow k-ID:  Website: https://www.k-id.com/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/k_identify LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/k-id   

In this episode, we speak with Sean Zhang, CEO and co-founder of Talon Esports. Talon Esports is an esports organisation co-founded in 2016 by Sean Zhang and Jarrold Tham, who have been passionate gaming enthusiasts since the times of dial-up internet. Esports and professional gaming is a topic of great relevance to our listeners, as an increasing number of young gamers today aspire to become professional gamers. In this episode, we have the privilege of hearing from Sean, who is an expert on this topic, having built numerous esports teams from the ground up and is fully immersed in the world of competitive gaming. Having spent a successful career in banking and technology, Sean has instilled the core values of continuous improvement, innovation and hard work into Talon’s culture, winning multiple titles across various games with their content being viewed extensively across the globe. Timestamps 2:36 – Starting an esports team 4:31 – How to identify and recruit young talents 8:11 – Balancing competitive gaming and other aspects like education 11:46 – Other career opportunities in esports outside of being a professional gamer 13:34 – Traits to succeed at a professional level – nurture vs nature? 17:19 – Challenges that young people may face when pursuing an esports career 24:08 – Role of parents in their child’s participation in the esports world 28:18 – Stigmas associated with competitive gaming 31:01 – Benefits of gaming in a controlled environment 33:35 – Streaming and content creation 37:23 – Advice to young aspiring gamers Follow Talon Esports: Website: https://www.talon.gg/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TALON_ESPORTS LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/talon-esports  Follow Sean: Twitter: https://twitter.com/SeanZha91508818 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xiao-sean-zhang-29639462/  Follow k-ID: Website: https://www.k-id.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/k_identify LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/k-id   

In this episode, I speak with Monet Goldman. Monet is a licensed marriage and family therapist and he runs the Video Game Counseling Clinic in California. He is a “gamer-affirming” therapist – he pioneered the use of video games in the therapy room with clients to authentically connect, build socioemotional skills, and process their difficulties. Monet uses a collaborative approach to help kids and teens, parents and families build healthy gaming and screen habits.  Timestamps 1:40 – What is video game counselling 5:18 –  How video gaming can help in improving kids’ and teens’ mental health  6:56 – Benefits of using video games in therapy for kids and teens 12:05 – How to avoid potential negative effects arising from excessive video gaming 15:02 – How to help kids and teens build healthy gaming habits  17:02 – Parent-child co-play 18:50 – Monet’s game recommendations 21:00  – Concluding thoughts    Follow Monet: Website: https://videogamecounseling.com/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/videogamecounseling/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/VideoGameCounse  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monet-goldman/ Follow k-ID:  Website: https://www.k-id.com/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/k_identify  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/k-id

Dr. Rachel Kowert is a research psychologist and the Research Director of Take This, a mental health nonprofit aimed at decreasing stigma and increasing support for mental health in games. Dr. Kowert is also a world-renowned researcher in the uses and effects of digital games, including their impact on physical, social and psychological well-being. An award-winning author, she has published numerous books and scientific articles relating to the psychology of games.  Timestamps 1:35 – Researching the psychology of video games  3:02 – Why do we play video games?  4:20 – Does the good in video games really outweigh the bad? 7:28 – Take This  8:43 – How to help young people struggling with mental health issues while gaming  12:23 – Dr. Kowert’s YouTube channel, Psychgeist  14:02 – Children’s picture books Tales from Cloud Canyon  16:00 — Current research on extremist radicalisation and recruitment within digital gaming spaces 17:55 – Future of video gaming   Follow Dr. Rachel Kowert: Website: https://rkowert.com/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drrachelkowert/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/drkowert  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelkowert  Follow k-ID:  Website: https://www.k-id.com/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/k_identify  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/k-id