Tech Shock - from Parent Zone

In the ‘information age' it's easy to find any number of resources and strong opinions. This makes it more crucial than ever that we're able to filter out the noise and access evidence and information that's of a high standard and digestible.As heated debates around tech continue – including its impact on attention spans and social media ‘addiction' – what does the research actually say, and how can we best access it?In this episode, Vicki is joined by researcher, popular science author and Professor of Cognitive Psychology at Utrecht University, Stefan Van der Stigchel to help answer these questions. They'll also be discussing why robust, accessible science can help minimise easy answers, flimsy claims and viewing things through a binary lens.  Talking points:What do we really mean when we talk of ‘attention' and ‘concentration' and just how do they differ?Why is the ‘Like' button – among other features – so problematic, and how could insights from cognitive psychology guide positive design choices?How should consumers go about separating the good popular science from the not-so-good popular science?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt. Tech Shock is produced and edited by Tim Malster.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

Awareness of emerging harms gradually develops and debates around smartphone bans and social media restrictions for children are ongoing. At the same time, the series 'Adolescence' has been turning these sorts of conversations national. With all this in mind, are we doing enough to understand the lived experiences and perspectives of young people themselves? VoiceBox is an organisation who help do just that – giving young people around the world a platform to have their say on what impacts them most, and briefing other organisations on insights and trends.In this episode, director of VoiceBox Natalie Foos joins Vicki to offer the youth perspective on the phenomenon of ‘sharenting' and family vlogging: something that looks increasingly part of children and young people's lives.Talking points:Just how widespread is online sharenting, and how much does the average family vlogger earn?As US states pass legislation protecting the legal and financial interests of children, should we now ask if family vlogging is acceptable in the first place?Given the unavoidable power dynamic between parent and child, can children really consent to have their image and experiences shared?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt. Tech Shock is produced and edited by Tim Malster.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

With Ofcom's duties and guidance around illegal harms and content, services' transparency, the safety of women and girls, as well as the protection of children all being published in 2025, it's undoubtedly an important year for the implementation of the Online Safety Act.But with geopolitics becoming more unstable, tech companies pivoting in controversial ways – including Meta rewriting its policies on ‘hateful conduct' and removing fact-checkers – and tech like generative AI becoming part of daily life, we have to ask: is the Act too vulnerable to external changes, and can it actually regulate the online world?The Online Safety Act Network was set up to connect and inform civil society organisations on the status of the Act and its implementation. In this episode, the Network's director, Maeve Walsh joins Vicki to help assess how the Act is faring currently, and how it might possibly fare in the future.Talking points:To what extent are Ofcom overlooking safety-by-design measures in favour of addressing harms that have already occurred?Why are ‘small but risky' services so controversial in the context of the Online Safety Act?How might the Government strengthen the Act against both global developments and developments in tech?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt. Tech Shock is produced and edited by Tim Malster.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

As both the sophistication and accessibility of AI is on the up, the ease in which someone can create and share realistic deepfakes involving ‘non-consensual intimate images' increases also. Worryingly, schools and education settings aren't exempt from this trend.To add to this, UCL's Institute of Education found that – of young people who have experienced this sort of image-based sexual harassment – only 2% reported it to their school.Kristin Woelfel is policy counsel at the Centre for Democracy and Technology. She's also co-author of a 2024 report which, through a large-scale poll of students, teachers and parents investigated non-consensual image sharing and deepfakes. In this episode, she joins Vicki to discuss the report's findings and to unpack this issue further.Talking points:As emerging tech facilitates new possible harms, are schools actually equipped to deal with evolving forms of harassment and abuse?How should we respond when children and young people themselves are perpetrators of sexual harassment?As a first line of defence when it comes to these risks and harms, do parents have the information they need, or are they not yet part of the conversation?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt. Tech Shock is produced and edited by Tim Malster.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

Research shows that consistent, authoritative at-home parenting impacts children's learning and educational outcomes. At times though, a prevailing culture within education can mean parents receive insufficient support, and are even unfairly labelled and criticised. Similarly, the false narrative that very young children don't use digital technology can be another obstacle to understanding not just the nature of their tech use, but also its possible benefits when it comes to learning and development. In episode three of season 10, Vicki is joined by Janet Goodall – researcher and Professor of Education at Swansea University's School of Social Science – to discuss all things parental engagement, as well as her recent work into early years' tech use.Talking points:In the context of children's learning, is there really such a thing as ‘best practice' when it comes to parental engagement?How can schools do more to support parental engagement, and are they overly constrained by current models of measuring parents' involvement?What are the issues of mythologising a ‘tech-free' past when it comes to young children?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt. Tech Shock is produced and edited by Tim Malster.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

Children grow up surrounded by technology – engaging with it from birth. But how do we help parents with information, evidence-based advice and support so that those early interactions can lay the foundations for positive engagement as children grow?Supported by the Nuffield Foundation, the ‘Early years digital media literacy review' is a new report from Parent Zone. It scopes out existing – or without giving too much away, the absence of – early years interventions: the sorts of initiatives that could foster both digital media literacy and the benefits of tech.To help unpack the findings of this research and to explore the topic further, Vicki is joined by Eleanor Ireland, Programme Head at the Nuffield Foundation; Lucy Betts professor in Social Development Psychology at Nottingham Trent University; and Melanie Pilcher, Quality and Standards Manager at the Early Years Alliance.Talking pointsJust what is ‘digital media literacy' in the context of the early years and why is it overlooked?To support parents now, can we develop and test interventions all whilst building a necessary evidence base?Collaboration' is usually championed as an important lever for change – but what might this look like practically, and in this context?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt. Tech Shock is produced and edited by Tim Malster.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

The Tech Shock podcast hits double digits as it returns for its 10th season. As always, Vicki will be joined this season by a whole host of expert guests to talk all things tech, as well as taking a deep dive into new research by Parent Zone.Expect fascinating discussions around AI-generated sexual harassment in schools; ‘good enough' parenting; violence against women and girls; and some current pros and pitfalls of the Online Safety Act. In this episode Nominet's social impact lead, Adam Groves, joins Vicki to kick off season 10. They'll be exploring Parent Zone's new report on parental attitudes to the wide-reaching (but enormously overlooked) issue of ‘child financial harms'.Talking points:Once we properly appreciate harm through a financial lens, are current systems and responses failing?Why (and to what extent) does parents' understanding of these harms differ from what children actually experience?If all manner of digital environments and design choices can facilitate child financial harms, how can we begin doing better?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt. Tech Shock is produced and edited by Tim Malster.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

VoiceBox is an organisation that specialises in youth content and consultation – showcasing the talent of young creators globally. They also ensure that the youth perspective is heard through their independent research and work with tech firms, government bodies and other decision-makers.After attending the WeProtect global summit in Abu Dhabi this December, VoiceBox director Natalie Foos joins Vicki for the final episode of season nine. Together they unpack the recent WeProtect event, discuss some of VoiceBox's exciting past (and future) work, and offer up some notable moments from this season of Tech Shock.Talking points:What themes and concerns emerged around online child sexual exploitation and abuse at the WeProtect summit?Does online youth participation have to bring with it the current difficulties of social media, or is an alternative model available?What developments and issues are actually on young people's radars – both within the world of tech, and beyond it? Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt. Tech Shock is produced and edited by Tim Malster.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

Digital resilience involves understanding possible risks online, knowing where to get help and having the support to recover when things go wrong, and learning from experiences.But some emerging harms can begin to shift online safety discussions away from digital resilience and more towards bans, regulation and abstinence – particularly when harms are considered to severely affect wellbeing and mental health. In this episode, Vicki is joined by professor of Human Behaviour and Technology at the University of Oxford, Andy Przybylski. They discuss the relevance of digital resilience today as well as what research actually says about the impact of internet use on individuals. Talking points:Is describing some levels of tech use as an ‘addiction' problematic, and are there better ways to begin thinking about it?What is the ‘Goldilocks theory' of screen time and wellbeing? In the midst of a shift towards restrictions and regulation, does existing evidence actually support bans?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt. Tech Shock is produced and edited by Tim Malster.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

AI chatbots are becoming increasingly sophisticated in how they interact with users. The insights afforded by AI tools can also be used to streamline workflows and improve efficiency across a range of organisations and their services.With the NHS reporting that one in five children and young people in England had a ‘probable mental disorder' in 2023, have we reached a point where AI innovations could – or should – be used to help cope with a seemingly ever-growing demand for support?The Mix is one example of a youth advice and support service who have previously integrated AI into their work. In this episode, Vicki is joined by The Mix CEO Chris Martin to unpack the benefits (and possible pitfalls) of AI innovations in the charity sector. Talking points:Is AI suited to tackle the demand for mental health support or is ‘efficiency' another word for ‘cheap'? How might support bots that are personalised – and potentially indistinguishable from real people – be problematic? What more is needed to unlock AI's potential in support services as well as beyond them? Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt. Tech Shock is produced and edited by Tim Malster.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

As the online world continues to develop, possible risks and harms do too. Business models can encourage the promotion of harmful content via algorithms, and children's data is too often viewed as a commodity. Often, legislation is left scrambling to keep up with tech – and even when it's successfully passed, evidence ‘supporting' it can be conflicting (or simply lacking). In-between all this, the rights of children can be sidelined or infringed upon. But are we yet in a good place for tackling some of these challenges? And if not, where next? Helping Vicki answer this question is Sonia Livingstone, professor at the London School of Economics and Director of the Digital Futures for Children Centre.Talking points:How can regulation stay relevant in a world of generative AI and ‘innovation at speed'? Between parental controls and age verification, are we forgetting to ask key questions about child rights?Should we be following Australia in raising the digital age of consent, or does research say otherwise? Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt. Tech Shock is produced and edited by Tim Malster.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

The use of technology to assist with parenting is something that's becoming a social norm. It's easy to understand why: parents want to know what their children are doing online, where they are when they're out of sight and what digital content they're being exposed to. Knowing your child is safe is the most fundamental of all parenting priorities. But digital parenting, particularly when it involves monitoring technology, raises questions around children's rights to privacy. This use of technology may also (somewhat counterintuitively) impact family dynamics and wellbeing in negative ways. Far from supporting conversations it might be making them less constructive. This week Vicki is joined by Ekaterina Hertog and Jun Zhao from the University of Oxford and Netta Weinstein from the University of Reading – co-authors on a recent research paper exploring ‘data-driven parenting' – to discuss this in more detail,  to consider some of the issues surrounding it, and explore the concept of a ‘good digital society'.Talking points:Is digital parenting technology altering – or even replacing – things like communication and open discussion?Does monitoring technology prevent children from learning to self-regulate behaviours and make good decisions? Even with safety as its aim, does digital parenting infringe on a child's right to privacy or are parents getting the balance right? Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt. Tech Shock is produced and edited by Tim Malster.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

Surveillance capitalism – the gathering, analysis and use of personal information to influence people and sell things – arguably requires losses in (or infringements on) privacy to work best. At the same time, anonymity online can bring its own risks: it may facilitate trolling as well as the spread of mis- and disinformation. User anonymity might also undermine age restrictions on online platforms and content. In this episode, Vicki is joined by privacy advocate and author Mark Weinstein to discuss this possible conflict between privacy and anonymity, as well as user IDs and user data in the age of AI, and behaviour modelling when it comes to tech use and critical thinking.Talking points:How have privacy infringements changed since the early days of the internet? Are user IDs really the answer to issues surrounding anonymity and privacy? Can children be taught responsible tech use within a culture of restriction and abstinence?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt. Tech Shock is produced and edited by Tim Malster.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

Tech Shock returns for its 9th season and we invite a range of expert guests to explore the tech landscape post-Online Safety Act – as well as emerging trends and possible harms.Our first guest this season is director of Youthworks Adrienne Katz. She joins Vicki to unpack the findings from Youthwork's Annual Cyber Survey, which, having run since 2008, aims to capture just what it's like for young people growing up and living in the online world. Talking points:to what extent can we really attribute a rise in mental health issues to tech use?what role does gender play in how exploratory, risk-taking or media literate young people are online? what factors influence young people's digital resilience and recovery from harm?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt. Tech Shock is produced and edited by Tim Malster.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

Just two weeks ago a report from The Education Select Committee recommended that, post-election, the new government consider additional measures around screen time – and smartphone use – for children. Having previously heard from both parents and young people on the topic of a smartphone ban for under-16s, this Tech Shock special now turns its focus onto some expert viewpoints. In this episode, Vicki is joined by a member of the Parent Zone Studio, Riley Mackrory to explore contributions from both education and mobile industry professionals. Talking points:Who could be held accountable – or even criminalised – for not adhering to a smartphone ban? Is there really such a thing as a ‘dumb' phone? What impact could bans have on households where smartphones are the only route online? Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt. Tech Shock is produced and edited by Tim Malster.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

Part two of this Tech Shock special discusses the possibility – and possible impact – of a smartphone ban for under-16s. Having previously heard from parents, this week Vicki is joined by Anna Lindsay from youth-content platform VoiceBox to get a measure of what young people themselves think about the issue. Talking points:Can you build resilience in an ecosystem of bans and prohibitions?Are we consulting young people enough on legislation that impacts them? Could – or should – this process be more collaborative? What do young people feel they would lose if using smartphones were no longer an option?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt. Tech Shock is produced and edited by Tim Malster.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

A minimal digital living standard is a benchmark. It refers to both a level of digital skills and access to tech that can appropriately meet an individual's basic needs – not just ‘nice-to-haves'. It involves things like communication and connection with others, and the ability to engage with opportunities and digital services adequately and safely. This week, Vicki is joined by Dr Emma Stone, director of evidence and engagement at the Good Things Foundation; professor of Digital Culture at the University of Liverpool, Simeon Yates; and Dr Chloe Blackwell from the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University to look at what a minimal digital living standard might look like in practice. Talking points:What goes into constructing a metric like the ‘minimal digital living standard'? Is grasping relative differences between groups the key to understanding digital inclusion and exclusion?How can – or how should – policymakers and organisations begin to use this benchmark in their work?https://mdls.org.uk/publications/Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt. Tech Shock is produced and edited by Tim Malster.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

Just months after the DfE announced guidance on mobile phone use in schools,  the possibility of a smartphone ban for under-16s is being actively discussed.Support for bans like these can, at least initially, be very strong – but also nuanced. In a slight change of format for Tech Shock, Vicki is joined by a member of the Parent Zone Studio, Riley Mackrory to share and discuss the parent perspective; based on contributions we've had directly from parents themselves. Talking points:is support for smartphone bans more ‘knee-jerk' than much needed? are smartphones detrimental to socialising or do they facilitate another form of it?  how might such a ban impact user safety, education and the practicality of everyday life? Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt. Tech Shock is produced and edited by Tim Malster.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

Natalie Foos, director of the youth content platform VoiceBox joins Vicki to provide some young people's perspectives on the hot (or tricky) topics from Tech Shock's season 8. Talking points:In a year where half the world could be at the polls, how equipped are young people to avoid disinformation? As social platforms and online games are increasingly built to engage and retain, how autonomous can young users feel online? With tech developments moving so fast, do young people feel like regulation is an impossibility?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt. Tech Shock is produced and edited by Tim Malster.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

This week Vicki talks to Emma Higham, product management lead on Google's Search Child's Safety Portfolio about some of the exciting new tools they've been working on.Talking pointsEvery family is different so how do tech companies create safety tools that work for everyone?What is LEO and why is it important?How does search think about people looking for information at vulnerable moments?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt. Tech Shock is produced and edited by Tim Malster.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

From incels to Andrew Tate, young people are increasingly exposed to debates around gender when online. This week, Vicki is joined by Rosie Campbell, professor of politics and director of the Global Institute for Women's Leadership at King's College London to discuss the topic of gender in the digital age. Talking points:What do we really mean when we talk of the ‘gender divide'?How is social media making the topic of gender more polarised, and more profitable (for some)? What's the relationship between views on gender and who we vote for at the polls?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt. Tech Shock is produced and edited by Tim Malster.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

This week Vicki is joined by Pete Etchells, professor of Psychology and Science Communication at Bath Spa University to discuss the topic of screen time and some of the debate that surrounds it.Talking points:What is ‘screen time', and how hard is it to accurately measure? Why do we tend to look at tech through a harmful lens, and does this stand in the way of digitally flourishing?Do some policies just help us avoid thinking about children's tech use?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt. Tech Shock is produced and edited by Tim Malster.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

 Our 2023 research found that young people aged 13-18 spend over £50m online each week. But this financial autonomy could mean increased exposure to harms like scams, gambling, influencer marketing, and criminal exploitation. This week Vicki is joined by Maya Daver-Massion and Zixuan Fu, part of the security and online safety team at PUBLIC to shed more light on ‘child financial harms'. Talking points: What exactly makes child financial harms such a ‘wicked problem' to solve?Other sorts of harm are always on the radar. So why are finance-related harms so often overlooked?Is systemic change needed to tackle child financial harms, and, if so, where do we start?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt. Tech Shock is produced and edited by Tim Malster.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

Vicki talks to Dr. Katie Davis , Associate Professor at the University of Washington about what happens when technology intersects with child development and why good enough parenting really is good enough. How are online platforms designed and what sort of design leads to certain behaviours?When does technology support child development and when does it get in the way?What does AI mean for human agency?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt. Tech Shock is produced and edited by Tim Malster.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

In 2024, the year of many elections, governments across the world are bracing themselves for an onslaught of disinformation. Vicki and Geraldine talk to Professor Julian McDougall of Bournemouth University about whether media literacy is finally poised to break free of its Cinderella status.Talking points:Why do politicians both sneer at media literacy and grab onto it as the answer to online harms?How do you measure the impact of media literacy when success is so often about what doesn't happen?Much of social media is more emotional than rational. How does any kind of formal education counter that?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt. Tech Shock is produced and edited by Tim Malster.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

Vicki and Geraldine talk to sharenting expert Claire Bessant about the pros and cons of posting about your children online.Talking points:Are parental influencers who post about their children doing anything different from families down the centuries whose children have worked on the family farm?Is there any point in talking about consent when children are being required to consent to their parents?Even if you're careful not to post anything about your children in public spaces online, could schools be spreading information about them?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt and Geraldine Bedell, Tech Shock is produced by Tim Malster and edited by Geraldine Bedell.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

Vicki and Geraldine discuss Parent Zone's latest research into financial harms to children online. Is this a category of harms that we've simply overlooked? And if so, why?We tend to think children aren't doing much financially online, but how true is thisWhen children get scammed online, why are they often reluctant to tell anyone?Young people told us that many of them were acting illegally online. Is the internet normalising lawlessness?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt and Geraldine Bedell, Tech Shock is produced by Tim Malster and edited by Geraldine Bedell.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

Vicki and Geraldine talk to clinical psychologist Elly Hanson about OnlyFans, which has done such a good marketing job that it's been popping up at child protection conferences. But should it be there? What do we really know about the streaming site that combines porn and prostitution?Talking points:Is OnlyFans changing young people's sexual scripts?What does the psychological research tell us about the impact of the objectification that's central to OnlyFans?Young women advertising themselves as 'teens' are especially popular on the site. Do we have to accept that this is simply male sexuality, or is something else going on?Why are the connections made on OnlyFans never authentic, despite the site pushing the ‘girlfriend experience'?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt and Geraldine Bedell, Tech Shock is produced by Tim Malster and edited by Geraldine Bedell.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

Vicki and Geraldine talk to Tracey Carpenter of Cifas, the organisation that runs the UK fraud database, about the alarming rise in the numbers of children involved in fraud.Talking points:Why are children susceptible to being recruited as money mules?How does money muling work when children are involved?How should we respond when children are being exploited and at the same time are committing crimes?What are the consequences if a young person is put on the fraud database?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt and Geraldine Bedell, Tech Shock is produced by Tim Malster and edited by Geraldine Bedell.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

Vicki and Geraldine talk to Natalie Foos, director of Voicebox, about the site's new report on young people forming relationships with AI chatbots.Talking points:Should you feel jealous if your partner falls in love with an AI?Why were the chatbots Voicebox investigated sending unprompted sexually explicit messages?Can AI bots help with loneliness? Or are they commodifying our most personal and human feelings?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt and Geraldine Bedell, Tech Shock is produced by Tim Malster and edited by Geraldine Bedell.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

Vicki and Geraldine talk to Lorna Woods, Professor of Internet Law and a chief begetter of the Online Safety Act about how it started with a brie and cranberry sandwich and where it's gone from there.Talking points:How far has Lorna's central idea, developed with Will Perrin of Carnegie, survived the turbulent politics of the last five years?Will the Act deal with addictive design and the cumulative impact of pieces of content that, taken individually, might not look that harmful?Is there a lawyer's answer to the collision of the fundamental rights of children and adults thrown up by the growth of end-to-end encryption, which allows for untraceable sharing of child sexual abuse material? (Spoiler: there is!)Are parents going to be overwhelmed by safety tools - their own and their children's?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt and Geraldine Bedell, Tech Shock is produced by Tim Malster and edited by Geraldine Bedell.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

In the first episode of a new series, Vicki and Geraldine take a look at the issues that will be looming large in tech for families over the coming months. We cover the metaverse - or, as Vicki prefers to call it, online immersive experiences; we consider how much money children are spending, making, and losing online; and we look at the implications of AI for children's privacy.Talking points:Is ‘remember to turn on your boundary settings' about to become every parent's mantra?Are financial harms to children online a problem hiding in plain sight?How much trickier is AI going to make being a good enough parent?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt and Geraldine Bedell, Tech Shock is produced by Tim Malster and edited by Geraldine Bedell.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

Vicki and Geraldine talk to the film maker and designer about how a design pattern library could bake in digital resilience to online products.Talking points:What is 'digital resilience' and is it a better way of thinking about safety than ‘online safety'?Why do designers need patterns?Can digital resilience designers learn from the way that 'inclusive design' has gone mainstream?Could design patterns for digital resilience offer ways of responding to the requirements of the Children's Code and the Online Safety Bill?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt and Geraldine Bedell, Tech Shock is produced by Tim Malster and edited by Geraldine Bedell.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

Vicki and Geraldine talk to the MP who has been a driving force through all the stages of the Online Safety Bill.Talking points:Given that the Online Safety Bill has had cross-party support, why has it taken such a very long time to become law?The government accepted 70 recommendations by the Joint Scrutiny Committee, which Damian Collins chaired. What is he pleased about having altered?Does he foresee further changes in response to amendments from the House of Lords?Can the Bill withstand developments in technology like generative ATech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt and Geraldine Bedell, Tech Shock is produced by Tim Malster and edited by Geraldine Bedell.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

Vicki and Geraldine discuss why media literacy is having a moment. When Parent Zone asked teachers to define media literacy, many couldn't do so. What do we mean by media literacy - and what does it look like in practice?Talking points:Media literacy has been yoked to the Online Safety Bill from the outset - but now it's been taken out of the Bill, to be dealt with elsewhere. Is the government downgrading media literacy?What's the difference between online safety and media literacy?Is media literacy too abstract a concept?Do governments really want their citizens to be media literate - or is that a bit too troublesome?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt and Geraldine Bedell, Tech Shock is produced by Tim Malster and edited by Geraldine Bedell.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

Vicki and Geraldine talk to the Chief Executive of the PSHE Association about the current backlash against relationships and sex education. Has RSE fallen victim to the culture wars? Will the government's review change sex education?Talking points:Are parents being told enough about what their children are being taught?Are children, as claimed in parliament, being taught that there are 72 genders?Should outside providers of RSE have other interests - either blogging about sex or, as in one case, selling sex toys?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt and Geraldine Bedell, Tech Shock is produced by Tim Malster and edited by Geraldine Bedell.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

Vicki and Geraldine talk to the Chair of Wikimedia UK and Chief Executive of the Institute of Librarians and Information Professionals, Cilip, about media literacy, librarians, and libraries in an age of search engines and AI.Talking points:Why is media literacy having a moment, especially in government?How are people supposed to develop media literacy when no one knows what it is?Why is Artificial Intelligence not actually very intelligent?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt and Geraldine Bedell, Tech Shock is produced by Tim Malster and edited by Geraldine Bedell.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

Vicki and Geraldine discuss Parent Zone's paper, Tools: A False Hope?, looking at user empowerment tools, which are often seen as a 'silver bullet' in discussions about keeping both children and adults safe online. But will they actually work?How long would it take to set up all the tools on all your favourite platforms and services? (Spoiler alert: quite a long while.)How effective are tools anyway? Who knows what happens to all the data that has to be collected for the tools to work? Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt and Geraldine Bedell, Tech Shock is produced by Tim Malster and edited by Geraldine Bedell.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

Vicki and Geraldine chew over the issues raised in the latest season of podcasts, covering everything from football to affairs with Draco Malfoy.Talking points:Is establishing the principle of regulation worth flawed legislation?How flawed is the Online Safety Bill, exactly?What hope now for less racist hate speech and online violence against women and girls?Can children truly be safe online if the rest of the internet remains toxic?What do we get wrong about the way children live online?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt and Geraldine Bedell, Tech Shock is produced by Tim Malster and edited by Geraldine Bedell.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

Vicki and Geraldine talk to Natalie Foos, Director of Voice Box, about her fascinating report on Reality Shifting, a huge phenomenon (2bn+ views for the #RealityShifting hashtag) involving young people transferring their consciousness to their ‘desired reality'. More than daydreaming or fantasising (its adherents insist), it frequently involves inhabiting a parallel universe - Hogwarts is very popular - and can be so appealing that young people want to leave their ‘current reality' altogether.Talking points:How is it different from daydreaming?How do they do it?Is it good for mental health or bad for mental health?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt and Geraldine Bedell, Tech Shock is produced by Tim Malster and edited by Geraldine Bedell.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

Vicki and Geraldine talk to Andy Burrows, freelance tech policy consultant and expert on child safety through his work with NSPCC. They discuss whether generative AI like Chat GPT could disrupt not only how teachers mark homework, but also all the efforts we have put into keeping children safe onlineTalking points:Are we making the same mistakes all over again with generative AI that we made before, retrofitting child safety only when it's too late?Is it possible to make the internet safe for children without making it much safer for adults?How have the continued crises in the Conservative Party turned children's safety into a political football?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt and Geraldine Bedell, Tech Shock is produced by Tim Malster and edited by Geraldine Bedell.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

Vicki and Geraldine talk to Ellen Judson of Demos and Kyle Taylor of Fair Vote, who say they can no longer support the Online Safety Bill. Both have been keen supporters of regulation. They talk us through what they see as various wrong turns for the Bill.Talking points:Why a separate internet for children could be a disaster.Why the Online Safety Bill could turn the UK into a haven for disinformation.Why banning content that's illegal, rather than regulating for activity that's legal but harmful, may look simpler, but actually makes the Bill much less likely to succeed.Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt and Geraldine Bedell, Tech Shock is produced by Tim Malster and edited by Geraldine Bedell.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

Vicki and Geraldine talk to the LSE academic working on the relationship between children's digital skills and their mental health.Talking points:What we've got wrong about the links between being online and poor mental health.How young people are gaming the algorithms to protect themselvesCan technical skills without critical thinking be dangerous for children?Are age verification and blocking tools, as promised by the Online Safety Bill, the silver bullet for child protection that's promised?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt and Geraldine Bedell, Tech Shock is produced by Tim Malster and edited by Geraldine Bedell.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

Vicki and Geraldine speak to the founder of Glitch, the online charity campaigning to end hate speech online against women and girls with a particular focus on Black and minoritised communities.Talking points:When women become targets of online hate, why are they so often asked what they did to deserve it? Or told, ‘if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen'?Why are we tolerant of behaviour online that we would never accept offline, whether it's actually illegal or not?How do we balance the need for self-care with not falling prey to the ‘get out of the kitchen' narrative?Why do pepetrators of online misogyny do what they do?What hopes for a Code of Practice on hate speech against women and girls as an adjunct to the Online Safety Bill?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt and Geraldine Bedell, Tech Shock is produced by Tim Malster and edited by Geraldine Bedell.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

Vicki and Geraldine talk to the CEO of Kick It Out about hate speech in football, online and off.Talking points:How can racism in football both be getting better and worse?Is the problem in elite clubs or at grassroots?Given what happened over LGBT rights at the World Cup, is Fifa fit for purpose?Will the Online Safety Bill prioritise freedom from harm over freedom of reach?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt and Geraldine Bedell, Tech Shock is produced by Tim Malster and edited by Geraldine Bedell.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

As the Online Safety Bill returns to parliament, Vicki and Geraldine talk to the CEO of Barnardo's, which supports many of Britain's most vulnerable children, about how much difference it could make.Talking points:What would the world have looked like if previous policies to intervene early in children's lives - like Sure Start - had continued at the same level?Can regulation make the internet safer for vulnerable children without closing the doors on children's exploration and expression online?Why should age assurance for pornography be fast-tracked?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt and Geraldine Bedell, Tech Shock is produced by Tim Malster and edited by Geraldine Bedell.wwwTwitterFacebookInstagram

As a revised Bill comes back to parliament under a new-look government, Vicki and Geraldine discuss what's changed, and whether it's for better or worse.Talking points:Where are we?The 'triple shield' - better than ‘legal but harmful'?Can end-to-end encrypted messages ever be scanned for child sexual abuse material and terrorism without compromising privacy?The Bill depends heavily on age assurance tools. How long is it going to take to get public buy-in?Can you really protect children online if the internet remains a haven for adult hate speech and toxic content

Vicki and Geraldine talk to Kat Dixon, who spent the summer of 2022 exploring the ways data poverty damages people's ability to live fully, as well as a host of really exciting local initiatives to counteract it.Talking points:Why you don't have to be poor to experience data poverty.Solutions to data poverty exist, but some are much less desirable than others. What makes the difference?How far could a new national strategy for solving data poverty help with the UK's crisis of low productivity?

Vicki and Geraldine talk to the Professor of Digital Culture at the University of Liverpool about why Britain has too narrow a view of digital literacy - and a quite shocking amount of digital illiteracy.Talking points:Why media literacy means understanding what data's being collected about you and why.Not everyone's workplace requires digital skills. How can adults stay up to date?Why are digital skills seen as something that's good for us, rather than something that's fun?

Vicki and Geraldine talk to the Professor of reading and children's development at the Open University, an expert on children's digital books. Are digital books the future of children's reading?- Can digital books appeal to a wider range of children than print books?- Digital books have the potential to unlock the imagination and children's creativity. Are they living up to their promise?- There is an overlap between children's digital books and games. Could books go the way of gaming and treat children as consumers, with constant nudges and inducements to spend money?

Vicki and Geraldine talk to Ofcom about regulating the internet. What have we learnt so far?Talking points:Why do parents help their children to dodge the system?Can you keep legal but harmful content and protect children?What can we learn from Ofcom's regulation of video sharing platforms, which is already up and running?Link to the Ofcom blog: How old is your child online?