Online Safety

Australia to Ban Social Media for Under-16s: What Does This Mean for South Africa?

Australia’s bold step to ban social media for under-16s has stirred global conversations. On the surface, this legislation aims to shield young people from the growing risks of the online world. But as we applaud efforts to protect children, we must confront a deeper question: why aren’t we educating our youth to navigate this digital […]

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Is a Screen-Free Childhood Realistic?

Online Safety, Trends

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

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Can kids have a screen-free childhood? Really?

Online Safety

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

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World Password Day 2023

Cybersecurity, Online Safety, Privacy

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

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Online Safety Index highlights SA kids’ vulnerability

Cybersecurity, Online Safety, Parenting, Teachers, Trends

South Africa’s children are the second most likely in the world to be exposed to risky content, including violent or sexual content, second only to Thailand. This is according to the DQ Institute’s 2020 Child Online Safety Index (COSI) which helps nations better understand their children’s online safety status The COSI also notes that South African children are

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Media literacy. DTRT.

Cybersecurity, Education, Online Safety

Do you know what LMIRL stands for in a WhatsApp or text? How about WTTP? Or PIR? The answers are “Let’s Meet In Real Life’ ‘Want To Trade Pictures?’ and ‘Parent in Room’. Smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, PCs and laptops, LTE, 5G, and WiFi have meant explosive access to the internet, especially for kids, who

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Safer Internet Day 2021: Learners struggling during the pandemic

Critical Thinking, Cybersecurity, Digital Footprint, Online Safety, Privacy

More time online, less education, a problem for SA’s teens Safer Internet Day is being celebrated in South Africa on Tuesday, February 9th, with the theme of bringing various stakeholders ‘Together For A Better Internet’. Humanity is at its most advanced point of access to smart technology, data, games, apps and social media platforms, which has

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A suicide goes viral on social media: Suicide Prevention Day

Mental Health, Online Safety

Suicide goes viral on social media Thursday, September 10th, is World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) around the world, organized by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP), and co-sponsor World Health Organisation (WHO). This year, however, we find ourselves within a different context, trying to emerge from various levels of lockdown and re-establish society and

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Wondering how to keep your kids safe and smart online?

Education, Online Safety, Parenting

Founder of MySociaLife, Dean McCoubrey recently had an interview with author and educator, Josh Ochs from SmartSocial.com in Los Angeles 🙂 We at MySociaLife, have watched Josh for years, and he is pure class, a superb ‘app safety’ reviewer, and his sweet spot is on helping kids to be safe and smart (just like MySociaLife)

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The TikTok #skullbreaker challenge is dangerous.

Online Safety, Trends

In an era of fake news and Momo Hoaxes it can be hard to work out what to be worried about, or where the real danger lies. The #TikTok #SkullBreaker Challenge is dangerous for sure. While many concerns or fears online may sometimes amount to very little – pranksters at play – no child can

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