(Cover image: a very pleasant walk on the beach at Surfer’s Paradise, last month)

It’s a great pleasure to welcome our new co-host, Dany Elachi. Dany is the founder of the Heads Up Alliance, and a father 5 who is passionate about giving children the best possible upbringing, with minimal screen engagement. He will be able to keep us informed about what’s going on in the advocacy world, as well as bringing his well-informed insights to the usual range of subjects we discuss on the pod. Nice to have you aboard, Dany!

We’re celebrating with new theme music and a new ‘whoosh’ (the technical term for the sound we play between segments) - why not celebrate yourself, by becoming a subscriber?

Outside the Screen Podcast is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This episode is a simple one for starters, where we just talk about one research report. But there is a lot in there, covering 4 different platforms and 86 different safety features that they had announced. Guess how many of these were in place and effective? Nah, don’t guess, just have a listen!

We should note, however, that the platforms in question have responded to the report, and they aren’t in agreement with what it says. There is a link to a news article below, where you can get their perspective.

We’ll be back in a month or so with an episode about screens in schools. Meanwhile we would love to have your comments on this one (or anything else, even any pleasant walks on the beach you’ve had recently).

Show notes

Our new co-host, Dany Elachi: https://linktr.ee/theheadsupalliance

Safety features report: Lexie Matsumoto, Arturo Béjar, Abdulraheem Arar, Damon McCoy, & Laura Edelson, Broken, Buried or Missing: Anatomies of Failure (and Success) of Social Media Child Safety Features (Heat Initiative and Cybersafety Research Center, 2026) https://cybersafetyresearch.org/broken_buried_missing.pdf

News item: https://www.scrippsnews.com/science-and-tech/more-than-half-of-social-media-child-safety-features-arent-working-per-report

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You can find the Children and Media Australia Know Before You Go service via this link.

Then, depending what you’re looking for, you can sort the list or search by title alphabetically, by age suitability, by classification or by date added. All of the reviews are prepared by people with training in child development, and they cover every G and PG title released in Australian cinemas since 2002, as well as selected M-rated movies and some pre-2002 ones that are available on streaming services.

Or at this link, you can access Know Before You Load – reviews of game style apps and apps that may appeal to young children. These cover some extra things that are relevant to games, like data collection and gambling-like content.

You might also like to sign up for our KBYG Weekly newsletter about the latest reviews, and join the CMA facebook community, or add us on LinkedIn.

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Hi Outsiders, finally I’ve been able to create a new episode! At first I wondered if I still had the skills, but fear not. I got through it.

It’s been an interesting day today, because when I woke up this morning and checked my phone, there was a text from a producer at ABC News Radio, asking if they could interview me about the proposed changes to the social media minimum age (SMMA) legislation. Well I hadn’t heard about such changes, but that didn’t stop me! I boned up quickly, and did the interview here. Would love to have any feedback.

In the course of that I came across the article that I discuss here in Paper Round. It’s by a team of 10, and the lead author is a postdoctoral fellow in public health at the University of Newcastle. From what I can see, the article - which aims to assess the impact of the SMMA legislation on younger teens’ social media use - has had quite some impact on the discussion. A lot of ‘See? I told you so’-type messages are flying around. So it was a great opportunity to do a bit of analysis of their approach and findings.

In the course of the Paper Round segment I make reference to the demographic makeup of the participants, and promise to give further info here. So: NSW residents were 67% of participants, and are about 31% of all young Australians. Residents of major cities: 84% and 75%, respectively; and born in Australia: 94% and 79%. Interestingly, the authors say on these last two measures the participant group is ‘broadly consistent with national demographic patterns’.

I then Zoom Out to give a bit of a history of attempts to reform the National Classification Scheme (NCS) for films, games and publications, culminating in a report about CMA’s submission to the most recent round of proposals. I will of course update you when there are any developments. Meanwhile there are plenty of links below, and I’m always happy to answer questions.

Until then, happy listening, and don’t forget to hit subscribe, if you haven’t already, and spread the word! I’d love to have the encouragement :-D

Outside the Screen Podcast is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Show notes

The Paper

Courtney Barnes et al, ‘Assessing early effects of Australia’s Social Media Minimum Age Act on adolescents’ social media use: observational study’ (2026) BMJ 393; doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2026-363695 (Published 24 June 2026) (or you can just click here)

The government’s announcement of enhanced penalties and powers under the SMMA legislation: https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/wells/media-release/stronger-powers-and-double-penalties-world-leading-social-media-law

The Zoom

* CMA submission on Mettlesome Report: https://childrenandmedia.org.au/assets/files/taking-action/cma-submission-on-classification-standards-may2026.pdf

* CMA full explanation of age-based classifications proposal: https://childrenandmedia.org.au/taking-action/current-campaigns/classification

* Mettlesome Report: https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/department/media/publications/update-modernise-and-harmonise-classification-guidelines-2025

* Stevens Review: https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/review-of-australian-classification-regulation--may2020.pdf

* Australian Law Reform Commission report: https://www.alrc.gov.au/inquiry/national-classification-scheme-review/

* All the rest of CMA’s submissions: https://childrenandmedia.org.au/taking-action/our-submissions

The Housekeeping

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Most importantly: the EOFY fundraiser is here: www.givenow.com.au/kbyg2. It’s open until 6 July. After that, you can still use our GoFundMe at https://www.gofundme.com/f/keep-CMAs-review-services-free. Any donation, large or small, is greatly appreciated, and as long as it’s at least $2, it’s also tax-deductible.

You can find the Children and Media Australia Know Before You Go service via this link.

Then, depending what you’re looking for, you can sort the list or search by title alphabetically, by age suitability, by classification or by date added. All of the reviews are prepared by people with training in child development, and they cover every G and PG title released in Australian cinemas since 2002, as well as selected M-rated movies and some pre-2002 ones that are available on streaming services.

Or at this link, you can access Know Before You Load – reviews of game style apps and apps that may appeal to young children. These cover some extra things that are relevant to games, like data collection and gambling-like content.

You might also like to sign up for our KBYG Weekly newsletter about the latest reviews, and join the CMA facebook community.

Get full access to Outside the Screen Podcast at outsidethescreen.substack.com/subscribe

Hello there, listeners, it’s been a while! Funny how some time away can make you lose your mojo, so it takes a while to get back into the podcast production groove. Add to that a lousy cold (punishment for excellent overseas travel*) and a raised paver + hands in pockets equalling bruised ribs … definitely not a good idea to be podcasting while feeling sorry for self.

Well there are my excuses, and here is my apology, to anybody who missed the pod over the last few months. It’s great to be back, and I hope this one is worth the wait.

The paper is about gambling - specifically the connection between novel forms (like lootboxes) and the onset of problem gambling. It also looks at different kind of psychological conditions and how they might make some people vulnerable to developing a bad relationship with gambling. Nothing terribly surprising, as we so often find, but knowing the facts can confirm what we know about how to protect our children from risks: choose content carefully, give lots of emotional support, keep an eye on things, and keep the lines of communication open.

Outside the Screen Podcast is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support Children and Media Australia, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Glenn gives us a review of Arctic Justice, an animated adventure where the baddy is a climate vandal Walrus. Recommended for 7 and up, and don’t forget, any time you want you can use the CMA website to find a review of any G or PG movie released in cinemas in the last 23 years, plus quite a few M ones. You can also search by age to find something just right for your child.

Then I analyse a recent complaint report on an Australian ad for what they call an ‘occasional food’. What starts out as a complaint about bullying ends up as a finding about something quite different. You’ll hear my musings on the nature of the ad self-regulation system generally, as well as the particulars of the complaint, the advertiser’s response and the community panel’s findings. (By the way, as always, I don’t mention the name of the advertiser - see if you can guess! You can check by clicking on the link to the report, below.)

Well it’s nice to know I haven’t completely forgotten to do this! Let me know what you think, about the episode or anything else, here:

Show notes

Canadian/US paper: Jeremie Richard and Serena King, ‘Annual Research Review: Emergence of problem gambling from childhood to emerging adulthood: a systematic review ‘ (2023) 64(4) Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 645-88 doi:10.1111/jcpp.13713

Arctic Justice review: https://childrenandmedia.org.au/movie-reviews/movies/arctic-justice

Arctic Justice availability in Australia: https://www.flicks.com.au/movie/arctic-justice/

Zooming Out details: Complaint report https://adstandards.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/0321-24.pdf; AANA Codes https://aana.com.au/self-regulation/

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You can find the Know Before You Go movie review service via this link.

Then, depending what you’re looking for, you can sort the list or search by title alphabetically, by age suitability, by classification or by date added. All of the reviews are prepared by people with training in child development, and they cover every G and PG title released in Australian cinemas since 2002, as well as selected M-rated movies and some pre-2002 ones that are available on streaming services.

Or at this link, you can access Know Before You Load – reviews of game style apps and apps that may appeal to young children. These cover some extra things that are relevant to games, like data collection and gambling-like content.

You might also like to sign up for our KBYG Weekly newsletter about the latest reviews, and join the CMA facebook community.

*Picture is of me at a wedding in Brittany. I know, I know.

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Yes, I do still know how to make a podcast - what a relief. I was starting to wonder for a minute there. It’s a great pleasure to bring you this episode, and stop beating myself up for losing the rhythm.

Paper Round is on an Australian article about socio-emotional development and screen use. Are children who spend a lot of time on screens more likely than others to act out, or to become withdrawn and disengaged? There are some very helpful findings here on causation - something to really savour!

In the movie review segment, Glenn talks us through a film featuring one of my favourite actors, Paul Giamatti (whom you might have seen in The Holdovers, Billions, or John Adams). Or maybe you’re a fan of Frankie Muniz or Amanda Bynes … I don’t usually talk about the cast of the movies we review but this one is rather a cut above! More importantly, of course, 2002’s Big Fat Liar could be a lot of fun and spark some interesting conversations with your over-6 children.

And then in Zooming Out, well, Dr Kim zooms back to the studio to talk about age-inappropriate games and the role he plays in supporting parents to hold the line against them.

Tune in again soon for an episode covering gambling, food ads and social media, but meanwhile: hope you enjoy this one!

Show notes

Vasconcellos et al paper: Roberta Pires Vasconcellos, Taren Sanders, Chris Lonsdale, Philip Parker, James Conigrave, Samantha Tang, Borja del Pozo Cruz, Stuart J. H. Biddle, Rachael Taylor, Christine Innes-Hughes, Katariina Salmela-Aro, Diego Vasconcellos, Katrina Wilhite, Ella Tremaine, Bridget Booker and Michael Noetel, ‘Electronic Screen Use and Children’s Socioemotional Problems: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Longitudinal Studies’ (2025) 151 (5) Psychological Bulletin 513–43 https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000468

Big Fat Liar review: https://childrenandmedia.org.au/movie-reviews/movies/big-fat-liar

Big Fat Liar availability in Australia: https://www.flicks.com.au/movie/big-fat-liar/

Zooming Out details: Kim’s clinic website https://www.cgiclinic.com/; Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/cgiclini/; Outcome of class action against Epic Games regarding in-game purchases: https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/refunds/fortnite-refunds; and here’s an update on the reports about the ESRB and facial recognition: https://www.ign.com/articles/esrb-facial-age-recognition-tech-response

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You can find the Children and Media Australia Know Before You Go service via this link.

Then, depending what you’re looking for, you can sort the list or search by title alphabetically, by age suitability, by classification or by date added. All of the reviews are prepared by people with training in child development, and they cover every G and PG title released in Australian cinemas since 2002, as well as selected M-rated movies and some pre-2002 ones that are available on streaming services.

Or at this link, you can access Know Before You Load – reviews of game style apps and apps that may appeal to young children. These cover some extra things that are relevant to games, like data collection and gambling-like content.

You might also like to sign up for our KBYG Weekly newsletter about the latest reviews, and join the CMA facebook community.

Get full access to Outside the Screen Podcast at outsidethescreen.substack.com/subscribe

I’ve been promising for a while to let you know what’s going on - and here is the news!

As always I’d be delighted to hear from you, to be recommended to your friends and colleagues, etc etc. (I’m sure you know the drill.)

And as always, I’m providing links so you can access some of the most useful info around, to support parents and families who are trying to find the best screen experiences.

Watch out for the next full episode, coming soon!

Meanwhile, find us on:

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Children and Media Australia (CMA)

You can find the Children and Media Australia Know Before You Go service via this link.

Then, depending what you’re looking for, you can sort the list or search by title alphabetically, by age suitability, by classification or by date added. All of the reviews are prepared by people with training in child development, and they cover every G and PG title released in Australian cinemas since 2002, as well as selected M-rated movies and some pre-2002 ones that are available on streaming services.

Or at this link, you can access Know Before You Load – reviews of game style apps and apps that may appeal to young children. These cover some extra things that are relevant to games, like data collection and gambling-like content.

You might also like to sign up for our KBYG Weekly newsletter about the latest reviews, and join the CMA facebook community.

Outside the Screen Podcast is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Get full access to Outside the Screen Podcast at outsidethescreen.substack.com/subscribe

Good to be back! I had a lovely few weeks swanning (or rather traipsing) around Portugal, Spain, Norway* and Denmark, and now it’s back down to business.

I’m pleased to advise I finally got a chance to interview my former colleague Andrew Stewart about the state of affairs regarding kidfluencers in Australia. (It only took 19 episodes, but who’s counting?) While I said back in Episode 42 that I thought child protection law had the best scope for preventing harm and exploitation, Andrew suggests special guidelines under workplace health and safety law - to address the special needs and vulnerabilities of children. Bit of a theme developing there. Lots more gems of information and insight, so don’t miss this interview.

In Paper Round I take you through an article about screen time rules - and as usual the message is that it’s not just about length of time, it’s about the quality of the content AND the time of day. While the findings of the study seem quite small and localised, they can spark a lot of reflection on the general utility, not just of rules themselves, but of their content and the way they are enforced.

I also mention in this episode that I’m going to have an announcement soon about the future of the podcast. I’m mentioning it here, too. Watch this space. Or subscribe and you’ll get an email when something happens.

No review this week, but there’s a link below where you can access Know Before You Go and Know Before You Load. Glenn will be back next episode.

*The background photo is a detail from a wall in the Oslo City Hall.

Show notes

New Zealand paper: Ladan Hashemi, Maryam Ghasemi, Deborah Schlichting, Maryam Pirouzi, Cameron Grant and Boyd Swinburn, 'Prospective relationship between family screen time rules, obesogenic behaviours, and childhood obesity' (2024) European Journal of Public Health https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckae169

Zooming Out details: Professor Andrew Stewart; Episode 42

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You can find the Children and Media Australia Know Before You Go service via this link.

Then, depending what you’re looking for, you can sort the list or search by title alphabetically, by age suitability, by classification or by date added. All of the reviews are prepared by people with training in child development, and they cover every G and PG title released in Australian cinemas since 2002, as well as selected M-rated movies and some pre-2002 ones that are available on streaming services.

Or at this link, you can access Know Before You Load – reviews of game style apps and apps that may appeal to young children. These cover some extra things that are relevant to games, like data collection and gambling-like content.

You might also like to sign up for our KBYG Weekly newsletter about the latest reviews, and join the CMA facebook community.

Get full access to Outside the Screen Podcast at outsidethescreen.substack.com/subscribe

This episode is a little different, as I’ve devoted the whole thing to a single interview (see below). I’ve been wondering if I could maybe bring in a few alternative formats for individual episodes, for example not having a Paper Round or a movie review every single time. Let me know what you think! Are you just as happy to hear a long interview as to be getting info about research and movies?

The interview is with Sarah Davies AM, the CEO of the Alannah and Madeline Foundation. She joined me to discuss a new, iceberg-based infographic that the Foundation has published, to just show how concerned we should be about data privacy.

I also mention my plan to take a month’s break from the production schedule, so expect me back in your inbox in late April. If you miss me, let me know!

Outside the Screen is a listener-supported podcast. To receive new episodes and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Show notes

Alannah and Madeline Foundation: https://www.alannahandmadeline.org.au/

Iceberg infographic: https://www.alannahandmadeline.org.au/what-we-do/advocacy/digital-rights/tech-iceberg

Digitalk: https://www.alannahandmadeline.org.au/learning-resources/digitalk

Beacon app: https://beacon.thekids.org.au/

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OR search your favourite listening platform (let me know if it’s not there! – outsidethescreenpod[at]gmail.com)

Children and Media Australia (CMA)

You can find the Children and Media Australia Know Before You Go service via this link.

Then, depending what you’re looking for, you can sort the list or search by title alphabetically, by age suitability, by classification or by date added. All of the reviews are prepared by people with training in child development, and they cover every G and PG title released in Australian cinemas since 2002, as well as selected M-rated movies and some pre-2002 ones that are available on streaming services.

Or at this link, you can access Know Before You Load – reviews of game style apps and apps that may appeal to young children. These cover some extra things that are relevant to games, like data collection and gambling-like content.

You might also like to sign up for our KBYG Weekly newsletter about the latest reviews, and join the CMA facebook community.

The GoFundMe page is here. Remember, it’s tax-deductible!

Get full access to Outside the Screen Podcast at outsidethescreen.substack.com/subscribe

Hi and welcome back! It’s been a bit longer between episodes than I would have liked, but I have some news, which is that I’m gainfully employed again. This is good news in many ways as the work will be interesting, and it will be good to use some more of my skills as an academic again (I’ll be helping design a new law curriculum for Western Sydney University). But while it’s only fractional, it does mean I need to be a bit more careful with my time. I’m still figuring out what kind of production schedule is realistic, and always keen to hear any thoughts you might have about whether I should go fortnightly, break the episodes up more … honestly, open to any ideas you might have.

Meanwhile I’ll keep in touch as to any developments, of course.

And with that, let’s get on with the show! I really liked the paper that I chose for this week. It complicates the picture we might otherwise have about language acquisition, by pointing out that there are at least three dimensions to screen use: quantity (the first and maybe only one most people think of), quality and age of onset. The study looks at all three and while the results might not be surprising they can definitely open up a variety of strategies that you can consider for yourself and your family.

This is followed up by another movie review, and thanks again to Glenn for contributing it. He and I contradict each other a bit so I should explain: I say it’s recommended for 4 and up, and he says recommended for all ages. This is because CMA doesn’t really recommend any movies for under-4s, thinking hardly any of those children would be able to sit still enough to get much out of long-form entertainment. But in this case the 4+ recommendation could well be interpreted to mean it’s fine for any age, in that there is no potentially harmful content, and of course if you watch it at home you can stop and start it as much as you like. Anyway, Moshi Monsters: The Movie is obviously very cute and inspiring, so definitely one to keep in the back pocket.

The movie is available in Australia only to rent or buy, and sometimes we cover those on the podcast, especially if they’re suitable for very young children, because we know (sometimes from painful experience) that the littlies like to watch the same things over and over and over again. So it might be worth a small investment to get access to it.

Finally, I’m making good on my resolution to get more interviews, by having quizzed Dr Adam Andreotta of Curtin University about his work on informed consent to privacy policies. Adam a philosopher who teaches ethics in the business school there, and he’s recently published a book called Rethinking Informed Consent In The Big Data Age. I hope you’ll agree, he has some pretty interesting ideas - and I for one will be keeping an eye out for things like comic contracts and personal privacy assistants.

Hoping to be back fairly soon this time and hope you can forgive me for any inconvenience on this one - Liz

Show notes

Language acquisition paper: Sheri Madigan, Brae Anne McArthur, Ciana Anhorn, Rachel Eirich and Dimitri A. Christakis, ‘Associations between screen use and child language skills: a systematic review and meta-analysis’ (2020) 174 JAMA Pediatrics 665–75; doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2020.0327

Moshi Monsters: The Movie review: https://childrenandmedia.org.au/movie-reviews/movies/moshi-monsters-the-movie

Moshi Monsters: The Movie availability in Australia: https://www.flicks.com.au/movie/moshi-monsters-the-movie/

Dr Adam Andreotta in The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/online-privacy-policies-can-be-90-000-words-long-here-are-3-ways-to-simplify-them-247095

Adam’s book: https://www.routledge.com/Rethinking-Informed-Consent-in-the-Big-Data-Age/Andreotta/p/book/9781032625966

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OR search your favourite listening platform (let me know if it’s not there! – outsidethescreenpod[at]gmail.com)

Children and Media Australia (CMA)

You can find the Children and Media Australia Know Before You Go service via this link.

Then, depending what you’re looking for, you can sort the list or search by title alphabetically, by age suitability, by classification or by date added. All of the reviews are prepared by people with training in child development, and they cover every G and PG title released in Australian cinemas since 2002, as well as selected M-rated movies and some pre-2002 ones that are available on streaming services.

Or at this link, you can access Know Before You Load – reviews of game style apps and apps that may appeal to young children. These cover some extra things that are relevant to games, like data collection and gambling-like content.

You might also like to sign up for our KBYG Weekly newsletter about the latest

Get full access to Outside the Screen Podcast at outsidethescreen.substack.com/subscribe

Hi listeners, great to be back in your inbox with another episode of Outside the Screen. As I mentioned last time, I’m thinking of making some changes to the pod, and one is to make the episodes less frequent. So if you’ve been missing OTS and pining for the next instalment - let me know!

This episode I’m covering two academic papers. The first one, from Vietnam, was written by scholars from medicine and public health, and it’s a quantitative study about the relationship between cyberbullying and depression. Specifically, it’s a systemic review and meta-analysis, covering 17 individual studies and nearly 8,000 research participants. The findings come as no shock, but there is some helpful, actionable advice to come out of it all.

The second paper is from a law journal, and it’s a children’s rights analysis of age verification. The authors recognise the need to have age restrictions for children’s protection, but they also don’t shy away from the challenges. These are inherent to the whole question of age verification, since children’s rights require both that they be protected and that they have access to appropriate content and experiences. I think the information and ideas they provide will be hugely helpful in working through the challenges that are coming in Australia (and elsewhere) regarding the legislated minimum age for social media accounts.

In between we get to hear about an Australian documentary, suitable for all ages (though maybe not inspiring for all), about the profound impact that musical education can have on children.

See below for ways you can connect with the pod, or just enter your email here:

Outside the Screen Podcast is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Show notes

Paper Round:

Huong Giang Nguyen Tran, Truc Thanh Thai, Truc Thanh Dang, Duy Kim Vo & Mai Huynh Thi Duong, ‘Cyber-victimization and its effect on depression in adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis’ (2023) 24(2) Trauma, Violence, & Abuse 1124–1139

Wide Open Sky:

Review

Availability in Australia

Zooming Out:

Sonia Livingstone, Abhilash Nair, Mariya Stoilova, Simone van der Hof and Cansu Caglar, 'Children's Rights and Online Age Assurance Systems: The Way Forward' (2024) 32 The International Journal of Children’s Rights 721–747;

Caitlin Elsaesser, Beth Russell, Christine McCauley-Ohannessian and Desmond Patton, ‘Parenting in a Digital Age: A Review of Parents’ Role in Preventing Adolescent Cyberbullying (2017) 35 Aggression and Violent Behavior 62–72

Find us on:

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Instagram

LinkedIn

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Apple Podcasts

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OR search your favourite listening platform (let me know if it’s not there! – outsidethescreenpod[at]gmail.com)

Children and Media Australia (CMA)

You can find the Children and Media Australia Know Before You Go service via this link.

Then, depending what you’re looking for, you can sort the list or search by title alphabetically, by age suitability, by classification or by date added. All of the reviews are prepared by people with training in child development, and they cover every G and PG title released in Australian cinemas since 2002, as well as selected M-rated movies and some pre-2002 ones that are available on streaming services.

Or at this link, you can access Know Before You Load – reviews of game style apps and apps that may appeal to young children. These cover some extra things that are relevant to games, like data collection and gambling-like content.

You might also like to sign up for our KBYG Weekly newsletter about the latest reviews, and join the CMA facebook community.

Get full access to Outside the Screen Podcast at outsidethescreen.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome back for the start of a new year! I hope you had just the kind of festive season you wanted and 2025 is off to a good start.

I’m thinking of making some changes to the pod this year, which I touch on in this episode. Would love to have your feedback to know whether you’d see them as an improvement (or the opposite).

In this episode I cover a paper about the N400, which is a brainwave they can measure with EEG technology, and what it can tell us about reading comprehension on paper and on screens. Warning, it’s a bit weedsy, but it all comes out pretty straightforward at the end (and since recording the piece I’ve confirmed with somebody who knows about these things that my interpretation was quite well-based - so that’s good!)

The review is of a Disney classic, Bedknobs and Broomsticks - which has lots to entertain older children but might need a bit of explanation as to the historical context - both of World War II and of early 70s Hollywood.

Then the episode is rounded off with some reflections on a particular detail of the Australian social media minimum age legislation. The Government has said it’s planning to exempt messaging services, and I’m not so sure that makes sense …

In the course of discussing it I refer to a Substack post about group texting - see link below. If you go to her page you’ll see quite a lot of posts about the author’s politics and voting intentions; I hope it goes without saying that I’m not endorsing these. (As an aside, though, I found it interesting to imagine an Australian author posting equivalent material … couldn’t quite see it.)

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Show notes

US paper: Karen Froud, Lisa Levinson, Chaille Maddox and Paul Smith, ‘Middle-schoolers’ reading and lexical-semantic processing depth in response to digital and print media: An N400 study’ (2024) 19(5) PLoS ONE e0290807 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0290807

Bedknobs and Broomsticks review: https://childrenandmedia.org.au/movie-reviews/movies/bedknobs-and-broomsticks

Bedknobs and Broomsticks availability in Australia: https://www.flicks.com.au/movie/bedknobs-and-broomsticks/

Zooming Out details: https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22legislation%2Fbillhome%2Fr7284%22 (and check out in particular the Explanatory Memorandum); blog post about group texting by Cindy Million

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