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?
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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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.
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
Key takeaways:
• Psychology of the Screen: Cybercriminals and predators leverage the human mind's "seeing is believing" vulnerability, exploitation of personal needs, and the illusion of anonymity to manipulate victims and drive dangerous behavioural choices.
• Australian Social Media Ban: Australia's under-16 social media ban targeting open, unmoderated platforms (like TikTok and Instagram) aims to reverse a documented drop in life satisfaction among vulnerable, developing adolescent brains.
• Global Regulation Hurdles: Enforcing child safety online is uniquely difficult because law enforcement remains tied to geographical borders, while digital stakeholders have competing motivations across differing international jurisdictions.
• Parent-Led Defence: Technology is essential for a child's future, but the ultimate defence against online harm is grassroots family intervention through filtering tools, healthy boundaries, and constant, open conversation.
If this episode got you thinking, check out:
The Internet: A Corporate Hijacking of Digital Freedom?
https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/MmIzMDA0ZTQtMDA1Ny00OTE1LTkyY2QtNjhhM2NlMzJmODdh
Sleep: Screens Stealing Our Slumber?
https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/N2NlNGQ3ZmItYTk1Yy00MjRlLTk5YjAtMmUyODM0OTRlNTQz
Deeper Connection: An Algorithmic Illusion of Intimacy?
https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/ZGFiZDU5OTEtYjY5NS00M2ZmLWE1YzYtMjcxYzQzMzFjOTg2
Guest links - Brett Lee
Website: https://www.internetsafeeducation.com/
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