Many people - especially parents - feel that the internet has seriously compromised the safety, wellbeing, and innocence of young people, exposing them to risks the offline world struggles to contain. But is that really the case, and if so, what can actually be done about it?
We're joined by Brett Lee - Cyber Safety Advocate, Author, and Founder of Internet Safe Education - who has spent his career on the frontline of this issue, working directly with young people, parents, and schools, and has seen the full spectrum of what the internet does to children when adults aren't paying attention.
Welcome to Ruined By The Internet? - the show where we examine how technology is shaping modern life - whether we want it to or not.
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In this episode we investigate how online risks to young people have evolved as the internet has changed, examine the platform features specifically harmful to younger users and why they exist, explore the role parents can realistically play in protecting children in a digital world, and ask whether legislation and community action can ever keep pace with the risks the internet keeps creating.
00:00 - Introduction to cyber safety education and why it matters
03:08 - How internet dangers have evolved as the technology has changed
05:56 - Online predators: who they are, how they operate, and why young people are vulnerable
09:38 - How technology shapes young people's perception of the world
11:52 - The platform features most harmful to young users and why they exist
17:07 - Age restrictions on social media: do they actually work?
19:30 - Cyberbullying and anonymity: the dangers of a world where school never ends
25:53 - The role parents can realistically play, and how technology also enables creativity
27:55 - Practical strategies for safer technology use that actually work
31:37 - Peer pressure, legislation, and who is ultimately responsible for keeping kids safe
35:10 - The positive online spaces that exist for young people
38:04 - Navigating social media risks without demonising the technology entirely
41:25 - Communication, grassroots efforts, and final advice for concerned parents
Guest links - Brett Lee
Website: https://www.internetsafeeducation.com/
