Headstart Online Resilience Podcast

In this episode we talk about what the Metaverse is, and what the risks to young people who access it (or any form of virtual reality are). We discuss a recent BBC article which suggested the Metaverse is incredibly high risk for young people, and what professionals can do if they are concerned about those risks, for example what measures can be taken to supervise children and young people who are using VR headsets.

We also discuss the likelihood of VR technology becoming mainstream, considering recent examples of technology which didn't take off and whether VR is likely to go the same way as Google Glass, or 3D movies.

Andy wrote an article in The Conversation about this, which you can read in full here: https://theconversation.com/protecting-children-in-the-metaverse-its-easy-to-blame-big-tech-but-we-all-have-a-role-to-play-177789

To see a transcript of this episode go to https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vSqbo5RzNJcBonibekQ-TTgGyuMFwgVdcJVmNV44MlTeL1tCOxLj9xcc-F1uVvgvFAi3NAHMI1MW2_O/pubhtml.

In this episode we talk about how to take a harm reduction approach to young people's online behaviour, and why this is better than an 'online safety' message. When we talk about 'Online Safety' we often aim to prevent or prohibit young people from accessing certain parts of the online world, and whilst we may have the best possible reasons for wanting to do this, it means that if young people decide to engage in the behaviour anyway, they have no understanding of what the risks might be or how they could reduce them. We talk about how we can apply a harm reduction ethos to all interaction with young people in relation to online activities, and what harm reduction might look like in specific cases. 

A key element to remember with harm reduction is that it doesn't mean we can't say 'this is risky, and the best way to stay safe is not to do it' it just means the conversation doesn't end there.

To see a transcript of this episode go to https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vT0Sf8IQ7bnO1aU4jUyZZYtw7eOXtWrcmdrpUWe6rPlwBg3YfVQGRLJSQYhayjsK_i-3VqNurhj-SYx/pubhtml.

In perfect time for Anti-Bullying week, Andy and I discuss what constitutes bullying in an online context and why we don't use the term Cyberbullying. We also talk about what professionals (youth workers, teachers, social workers and the like) can do if they are aware that a young person is being bullied through digital technology. We talk about the potential problems that professionals might face when issues arise in young people's digital worlds, such as parents becoming involved and how online and offline bullying should be dealt with in the same way.

To see a transcript of this episode go to https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQgqSZuW98d58yJVp7h2fHBFtn18gUIqTA-h4pz7tzD0nE4tEuLfXYhVwtJRRsHQIOM5mUIyYCFPKtF/pubhtml.

In this episode we talk all things Youtube - we'll be considering the benefits of Youtube, considering how young people use Youtube and how that might be different from our experiences of media, but that doesn't necessarily mean harmful. We'll then go on to talk about using parental controls, how they work and what the potential pitfalls of relying too heavily on them can be. 

We also discuss how to manage suggested videos, and how if a young person is seeing a great deal of harmful or upsetting content this can be edited to show less of the stuff you don't want to see.

We specifically talk about Squid Game and how even young children have been able to watch some of this, very violent show, through Youtube when their parents would not allow them to watch on Netflix. Similar to Grand Theft Auto, if everyone is talking about a show (or game) children and young people will inevitably be curious and are therefore likely to seek out clips on Youtube. 

To view a transcript of this episode go to https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQeCTZaK8AlD_XQA4DI85JjBA4yZGoJ0ZRdRJ4AzFLIjEx1Mpb7bg8Psj1VZQvLMXMskjmGk9P0LQp5/pubhtml.

What will the Online Safety Bill mean for professionals? Should you do anything differently? In this episode we discuss what the Online Safety Bill actually means for teachers, youth workers, social workers or anyone else working with young people. We'll talk about the potential issues with the bill and what you should do in the meantime.

To see a transcript of this episode go to https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQv5OIB5E66bVgV4SS19d5-QAtwFryZtpJWDuNWbdIsT1psWcMDlZgBIHIQtxy-b6BjXJvl4j5L-HbM/pubhtml.

Have you heard politicians saying they're going to make the internet safe for our children and wondered what that means? In this episode Andy and I talk about the Online Safety Bill, what it aims to do, what it might actually do well, and what it definitely won't be able to do. This episode will give you a run down of everything you need to know about the Online Safety Bill if you work with or support young people. We also talk about some if the potential problems with the planned bill for the wider population, and why we should be concerned about them.

The next episode will look at how it specifically relates to young people and what you will need to know if you support young people.

Andy uses the acronym ISP in this  episode, which refers to Internet Service Providers.

To see a transcript of this episode go to https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vSBqU7UUCA0YvIZFElFEaYf3J31R7FENApLkR96HNUnPp_8F8ixCBIKHFY31aR1mTU0YnRDUHLXIL-A/pubhtml.

What can you do if you see something racist or homophobic online? What if a young person says they've seen something offensive or upsetting online?  In this podcast we talk about the issues around hate speech online, whether reporting actually works and what follow up support you might need to offer.

Andy mentions 'Incels' this refers to people who consider themselves 'Involuntarily Celibate', it is typically men who are unable to engage in romantic or sexual activity with women, despite wanting to. It is an emerging form of extremism and often young men aregroomed into it online.

I also mention a podcast called Be AntiRacist, by Ibram X Kendi, which you should be able to find wherever you listen to podcasts.

To see a transcript of this episode go to https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vTWMVt-AVmE78DEnXx8DajuDrV4_xPxf_1rd27GhtRFvjUv7LLWMD-3ZUxZ4zj_FPISPHEG-sg2S574/pubhtml.

Do you know what your digital footprint is? Or how you can manage it? Could your digital footprint affect your ability to get a job? Is everything you've ever put online still out there somewhere?

To help you navigate some of these questions, in this episode we discuss digital footprints, what problems it can cause and how you can manage those problems. 

This isn't just an issue for young people, anyone who uses the internet leaves some sort of record of what they've done. Some of that record might be harvested to target advertising at you, and some of it might be available for anyone out there to see. So if you want to know what you can do if you find something about yourself online that shouldn't be there, we'll tell you how to get it removed - and we'll also discuss how you can do the same for any young people you support.

I mention an article about the 3 Ps - Private, Personal and Professional - it can be found here: http://thempra.org.uk/downloads/Social%20Pedagogic%20Concepts.pdf

To see a transcript of this episode go to https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vR9A5FAfuSLHEMUkHDQIkUF4Jm7Vt4EwmdMuDeqHWUCDViwQLgwYp8N_ieB8z3bt1C7COzIddFQGq-O/pubhtml.

Talking to young people is our bread and butter, right? In reality a lot of professionals have told us they struggle to start conversations with young people about their online lives, and that even if they do, the young people in question are often very cagey and unwilling to talk openly about what they enjoy doing online, let alone things they might be worried about. 

In this episode we discuss a variety of approaches to talking to young people about what they do online, whether that's gaming, messaging or creating content. We'll talk about how to keep the conversation open, how to encourage young people to come to you about issues they might face online and what you should avoid.

If you're worried that a young person you support may be facing bullying or harassment online, or just want to know more about what they're actually doing on Snapchat - this podcast will help you!

To see a transcript of this episode go to https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQu7KX4grPMHqMOcdC_d6l85EgJ-dVF1b-nU1Z2gC-beTZhaqQdVVdT-XcVuw3wOGZlhsJzej1Ku7A5/pubhtml.

In this episode Andy and I discuss Only Fans, a porn site. As such there is a frank discussion of pornography.

I mention a sex worker friendly, pay-what-you-can, counselling service, it can be found here: pineapplesupport.org/pineapple-support-therapists/

We also talk about the Professionals Online Safety Helpline, which can be accessed here: www.saferinternet.org.uk/helpline/professionals-online-safety-helpline 

To see a transcript of this episode go to https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vTUahyobrGD_g_wxocvm2dMCaoQvXaYgxRMOFyD-Uyuxm-yIlqQ1egEZ-JlDlXjTjCmqPFbHn340ySw/pubhtml.