In Episode 2 of Behind the Algorithm, students from Workington Academy Radio speak with Will Gardner OBE, CEO of Childnet, one of the UK’s leading organisations dedicated to keeping children and young people safe online.

Will explains how social media platforms and algorithms shape what young people see, think, and feel online, and why these systems can have such a powerful influence on behaviour, mental health, and wellbeing. Students explore how algorithms amplify content, the risks of harmful or misleading material, and why online safety is about far more than screen time alone.

The conversation looks at responsibility, where it should sit between young people, parents, schools, technology companies, and government, and why education, design choices, and regulation must work together. Will also discusses the role of digital literacy, how young people can be supported to navigate online spaces more safely, and what realistic protection looks like in a fast-moving digital world.

Recorded at Workington Academy Radio, this episode places student voices at the centre of an important national conversation about social media, algorithms, and growing up online.

Behind the Algorithm is a student-led podcast series investigating life online, featuring voices from education, politics, and child online safety.

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