1 00:00:06,040 --> 00:00:09,400 Speaker 1: Hello and welcome to the Happy Families Podcast. Today on 2 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:14,480 Speaker 1: the pod, we inspect the social media band the minimum 3 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:18,800 Speaker 1: age legislation that commenced on December ten. Under sixteen's no 4 00:00:18,920 --> 00:00:23,919 Speaker 1: longer allowed to use the major social media platforms Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, snapchat, 5 00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:27,479 Speaker 1: ex YouTube, Reddit, Twitch, threads and kick. The obligation, of 6 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:29,120 Speaker 1: course on the platform is none of the parents of 7 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:30,560 Speaker 1: the kids, which has a bit of good news there 8 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:34,000 Speaker 1: and penalties to those platforms for forty nine point five 9 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:37,240 Speaker 1: million dollars for non compliance. How's it all going? We're 10 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:40,720 Speaker 1: nearly eight weeks in. Should we be celebrating or commiserating? 11 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:43,919 Speaker 1: Has the legislation landed with a thud? Or has it 12 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:47,680 Speaker 1: been the smooth sailing? Today on the Happy Families Podcast, 13 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:50,040 Speaker 1: we have a look at what's going right, what's going wrong, 14 00:00:50,479 --> 00:00:52,600 Speaker 1: and what we need to do in our families to 15 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:56,120 Speaker 1: help our kids to navigate the digital world with these 16 00:00:56,200 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 1: changes safely and effectively. Stay with us. Gooday, Welcome to 17 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:05,160 Speaker 1: the Happy Families Podcast, where you get real parenting solutions 18 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:08,399 Speaker 1: every single day. It's Australia's most downloaded parenting podcast. We 19 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:12,560 Speaker 1: just love that Kylie. Today it's a conversation that is 20 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:15,680 Speaker 1: being met with, Like, I'm seeing a lot of exasperation 21 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:18,600 Speaker 1: from parents who are kind of going, it's been a 22 00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:21,440 Speaker 1: big nothing burgers, the big deal. Yeah, like it was 23 00:01:21,440 --> 00:01:24,520 Speaker 1: supposed to do stuff. Nothing's happening. So today we wanted 24 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:27,679 Speaker 1: to have a chat about what's working, what's not, and 25 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:29,600 Speaker 1: what we need to be doing in our families if 26 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:34,280 Speaker 1: we're not quite satisfied with the current situation in terms 27 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:38,679 Speaker 1: of children under sixteen supposedly not having access to social media, 28 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:40,759 Speaker 1: but a lot of them still having access. 29 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:44,839 Speaker 2: One of your followers posted this online and it really 30 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 2: hit me hard. I said, this isn't about cutting kids 31 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:52,280 Speaker 2: off from their friends. It's about removing big tech algorithms 32 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:53,560 Speaker 2: from our children's brains. 33 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:55,680 Speaker 1: Yeah. I love this. It's not like we're punishing kids 34 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:57,320 Speaker 1: saying that's it. Kids, you can't have this thing that 35 00:01:57,360 --> 00:01:59,720 Speaker 1: everybody wants. You can't have this social media thing. 36 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 2: So we're banning communication. We don't want you talking to people. 37 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:06,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's literally. So here's what's fascinating. I've mentioned this 38 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:08,720 Speaker 1: on the pod last year, but it's just one of 39 00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:13,080 Speaker 1: those things that keeps recycling through my brain. Meta was 40 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:15,880 Speaker 1: in court in the United States late last year and 41 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:19,040 Speaker 1: in an affidavit that they produced, they said that their 42 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:25,520 Speaker 1: platforms Instagram and Facebook specifically, about ninety percent of content 43 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:29,000 Speaker 1: that's shared on those platforms is not shared, not communicated 44 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 1: from me to you. That is from a person who 45 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:36,000 Speaker 1: knows the people that they're communicating with. Overwhelmingly, everything that's 46 00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:38,120 Speaker 1: happening on those platforms now, at least ninety percent of 47 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:42,360 Speaker 1: it is strangers communicating with strangers through short term TV, 48 00:02:42,480 --> 00:02:46,680 Speaker 1: short term video, like really short short video content, short 49 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:51,680 Speaker 1: TV content. So your point, extending on what that Facebook 50 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:56,720 Speaker 1: follower said is, I just think really cuts to the chase, 51 00:02:56,760 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 1: that really gets to the very core of what this 52 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:00,680 Speaker 1: is about. We are not banning that I'm saying, we 53 00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:04,240 Speaker 1: like it's me, the federal government, the Safety Commissioner is 54 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:08,119 Speaker 1: not banning communication. In fact, we want kids to communicate. 55 00:03:08,639 --> 00:03:13,480 Speaker 1: What is happening is that platforms now no longer have 56 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:22,040 Speaker 1: the opportunity to algorithmically hijack our children's neural architecture and 57 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:27,079 Speaker 1: dope minergic systems to maximize time on screens. 58 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:31,239 Speaker 2: It's interesting to me, just as you were talking, I 59 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 2: had this image when COVID hit. You know, the world 60 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:39,600 Speaker 2: was like shut down, right, We didn't have access to 61 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:43,960 Speaker 2: the face to face relationships that we would celebrate and enjoy, 62 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:48,400 Speaker 2: and the world had a meltdown, like they really really struggled. 63 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:51,960 Speaker 2: It's almost like we were given this gift to remind 64 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:56,480 Speaker 2: us how important face to face communication is, and we 65 00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:57,560 Speaker 2: promised we'd never go back. 66 00:03:57,920 --> 00:04:00,080 Speaker 1: I'm never going to go back to how it was, and. 67 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:01,560 Speaker 2: But that's exactly what we've done. 68 00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:04,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, so let's talk about the band itself. It was 69 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:07,320 Speaker 1: never going to be clean, and it was never going 70 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:12,240 Speaker 1: to be immediate, and something that is often missed in 71 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:14,520 Speaker 1: dialogue around this, and I've done a number of media 72 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:17,200 Speaker 1: interviews just in the last few weeks about this. The 73 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:21,080 Speaker 1: platforms were ideally going to be up and running straight away. 74 00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:24,919 Speaker 1: But nobody that I spoke to with any quote unquote 75 00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:28,320 Speaker 1: power here, the people who were right behind everything, Nobody 76 00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:30,400 Speaker 1: expected that everything was going to be smooth sailing from 77 00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:34,640 Speaker 1: day one. They've got to get through this messy phase. 78 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:36,080 Speaker 1: And I think what we really want to be doing 79 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:38,680 Speaker 1: is judging this in let's say twelve months, rather than 80 00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:41,800 Speaker 1: its twelve weeks. We're literally like, what is it. It's 81 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 1: a third of feb We're not even two months into 82 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:48,000 Speaker 1: the legislation rolling out. When you think about we were alive. 83 00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:49,520 Speaker 1: Believe it or not, we were alive when the seat 84 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:53,240 Speaker 1: belt legislation rolled out. People didn't instantly start wearing their 85 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:56,320 Speaker 1: seat belts perfectly on day one in the nineteen seventies, 86 00:04:56,360 --> 00:04:58,840 Speaker 1: when it became the law that you have to wear 87 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:01,040 Speaker 1: a seat belt, it took time for people to get 88 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:03,480 Speaker 1: their head around it and start doing it. 89 00:05:03,920 --> 00:05:06,400 Speaker 2: Well, take it down a notch, just to personal, you know, 90 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:09,560 Speaker 2: kind of life. You decide you're going to make a 91 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:11,560 Speaker 2: change in your everyday. 92 00:05:11,040 --> 00:05:13,360 Speaker 1: Life New Year's resolutions. 93 00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:18,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, and day one, day two, day three, you're doing amazing, right, 94 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:22,360 Speaker 2: and then you have a slip back. Right, Like if 95 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:25,919 Speaker 2: we judge something on a day to day basis, we 96 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:29,080 Speaker 2: actually don't see the full picture because we've got such 97 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:31,200 Speaker 2: a narrow view with which we're looking at things. 98 00:05:31,320 --> 00:05:34,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, the metaphor only holds a little bit because, like 99 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:36,839 Speaker 1: we start our New Year's resolutions with a lot of enthusiasm, 100 00:05:37,279 --> 00:05:39,840 Speaker 1: the big tech platforms did not start this with a 101 00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:42,320 Speaker 1: lot of enthusiasm. But anyway, let's have a chat about 102 00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:43,600 Speaker 1: how it's all going. Huh. 103 00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:45,600 Speaker 2: I guess let's start with where we're winning. 104 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:48,640 Speaker 1: There was a press release that just came out maybe 105 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:52,200 Speaker 1: two weeks ago. Meta has closed over five hundred thousand 106 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:56,200 Speaker 1: accounts belonging to children. So their press release says, and 107 00:05:56,480 --> 00:05:59,720 Speaker 1: I'm paraphrasing, that's half a million Australian kids that are 108 00:05:59,720 --> 00:06:02,640 Speaker 1: no longer using our platform. So that's their press release saying, 109 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:05,120 Speaker 1: look at how good we are. I would argue that 110 00:06:05,120 --> 00:06:06,520 Speaker 1: that's probably not what it means. 111 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:10,840 Speaker 3: Yeah, I was about to say, so right, nice, I've 112 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:14,640 Speaker 3: been because I've had lots of conversations with people whose 113 00:06:14,839 --> 00:06:18,719 Speaker 3: children got booted, got booted and they just replaced. 114 00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:20,960 Speaker 1: Their accounts, signed up for a new account and lied 115 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:23,719 Speaker 1: about it. Yeah. So, but it is a win because 116 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:27,280 Speaker 1: there's half a million kids accounts that have been closed down. 117 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:30,000 Speaker 1: The other thing that has struck me, I've had a 118 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:34,279 Speaker 1: handful of conversations with parents who are reporting genuine, real relief, 119 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:37,480 Speaker 1: Like they're saying, the kids are happier, they're more active, 120 00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:42,039 Speaker 1: they're outside, they're less anxious, they're feeling free from their screen, 121 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:46,000 Speaker 1: and I think that's a huge win. And a couple 122 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:47,960 Speaker 1: of parents have also said to me. In fact, I 123 00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:51,400 Speaker 1: did a podcast interview the other day and the dad said, 124 00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:54,440 Speaker 1: I know what I went through. He's a parent who 125 00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:58,400 Speaker 1: was born in the late nineties, so now he's got 126 00:06:58,440 --> 00:07:00,800 Speaker 1: his first child and he's saying, I know what I 127 00:07:00,839 --> 00:07:03,440 Speaker 1: went through, being one of those first generations to really 128 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:06,120 Speaker 1: have a whole lot of access to these platforms. Don't 129 00:07:06,120 --> 00:07:09,080 Speaker 1: want my kids having access to it. And I think 130 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:11,480 Speaker 1: that we're seeing a cultural shift where it is going 131 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:16,080 Speaker 1: to be increasingly weird for younger children and tweens and 132 00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:19,720 Speaker 1: even younger teens to have access to things like Instagram. 133 00:07:20,040 --> 00:07:22,400 Speaker 1: It's becoming not normal, which is what we want, right 134 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:24,840 Speaker 1: in the same way that wearing seatbelts is normal and 135 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:28,480 Speaker 1: not wearing one is not normal. That's good news, and 136 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:31,720 Speaker 1: the platforms are at least trying to. I mean, I 137 00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:34,240 Speaker 1: got a press release from Roadblocks the other day. They're 138 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:37,280 Speaker 1: not even included in the social media band, but platforms 139 00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:40,440 Speaker 1: seem to be taking increasing amounts of responsibility instead of 140 00:07:40,520 --> 00:07:42,400 Speaker 1: hiding behind while it's just up to the parents. So 141 00:07:42,440 --> 00:07:44,800 Speaker 1: that's where we're winning. That's my brief summary of that. 142 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:46,200 Speaker 1: I think that's kind of good news. 143 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:50,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, I guess there's got to counter it with the 144 00:07:50,360 --> 00:07:52,080 Speaker 2: ways in which we're kind of losing here. 145 00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:54,320 Speaker 1: Okay, I'm going to go through my list of where 146 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:56,640 Speaker 1: we're losing pretty quickly because I want to talk about 147 00:07:56,680 --> 00:08:00,559 Speaker 1: what to do, and the clock's ticking. So the first 148 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:03,480 Speaker 1: thing is this, we're losing because kids are migrating platforms. 149 00:08:03,880 --> 00:08:07,760 Speaker 1: So they're leaving these major social media platforms and heading 150 00:08:07,800 --> 00:08:10,520 Speaker 1: to discord and a whole lot of other smaller apps 151 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:14,480 Speaker 1: and going into gaming spaces. But as I was making 152 00:08:14,520 --> 00:08:17,200 Speaker 1: this list, I paused and thought themselves, well, hang on 153 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:20,880 Speaker 1: just a sec. The goal here is not to stop 154 00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:25,360 Speaker 1: kids communicating. The goal here is to put them into 155 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:27,880 Speaker 1: spaces where big tech can't get access to them with 156 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:32,240 Speaker 1: the algorithms, and keep on feeding them endless scrolling content. 157 00:08:32,840 --> 00:08:35,600 Speaker 1: So if they're messaging friends, if they're collaborating in games, 158 00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:39,200 Speaker 1: if they're not going through this infinite scroll, the infinite feed, 159 00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:42,560 Speaker 1: I don't think that's actually bad. So even if they 160 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:45,920 Speaker 1: are migrating to other platforms, they're going to places like 161 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:49,880 Speaker 1: WhatsApp where there is no algorithm, the algorithm isn't manipulating, 162 00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:52,400 Speaker 1: so that might be fine. There is a risk, of course, 163 00:08:52,440 --> 00:08:55,000 Speaker 1: some of them are going to platforms where there's less moderation. 164 00:08:55,160 --> 00:08:58,840 Speaker 1: There could be more predation because we haven't educated them 165 00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:01,920 Speaker 1: about why the big platform was a harmful. Other losses, 166 00:09:02,679 --> 00:09:05,200 Speaker 1: parents are signing kids up for new accounts with fake ages. 167 00:09:05,280 --> 00:09:10,160 Speaker 1: I have heard so many kids talking about how their 168 00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:13,720 Speaker 1: parents just sign them up for a new account. One 169 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:18,920 Speaker 1: word to every parent who's listening who might have done that. Stop, honestly, 170 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:23,439 Speaker 1: just stop. You are literally undermining your child's well being, 171 00:09:23,679 --> 00:09:25,800 Speaker 1: and you're also teaching your kids that the law doesn't matter. 172 00:09:26,120 --> 00:09:30,640 Speaker 1: I just stop. Other losses kids along about their ages. 173 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:33,200 Speaker 1: They're signing up for accounts using VPNs to fake the location, 174 00:09:33,240 --> 00:09:37,000 Speaker 1: although apparently the tech is doing a half decent job 175 00:09:37,040 --> 00:09:40,120 Speaker 1: of identifying that. And there's a whole lot of kids 176 00:09:40,120 --> 00:09:42,480 Speaker 1: that haven't been removed at all, our daughter being one 177 00:09:42,520 --> 00:09:46,720 Speaker 1: of them. So that's the challenge. 178 00:09:46,920 --> 00:09:48,440 Speaker 2: I guess when we look at the bigger picture, this 179 00:09:48,480 --> 00:09:52,000 Speaker 2: actually feels like this is more a parent problem than 180 00:09:52,040 --> 00:09:53,080 Speaker 2: it is a kid problem. 181 00:09:53,280 --> 00:09:54,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, well that part is for sure. 182 00:09:54,920 --> 00:09:57,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, kids are going to push the boundaries, are going 183 00:09:57,320 --> 00:10:01,920 Speaker 2: to test. That's normal. But parents actively helping them circumvent 184 00:10:02,559 --> 00:10:05,680 Speaker 2: the protection that's on offer that I think that's a 185 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:06,480 Speaker 2: real issue. 186 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:08,760 Speaker 1: You're absolutely right, I totally agree with you on that. 187 00:10:09,040 --> 00:10:10,520 Speaker 1: After the break, we're going to look at the three 188 00:10:10,520 --> 00:10:12,560 Speaker 1: most valuable things we can do right now as parents 189 00:10:12,600 --> 00:10:14,840 Speaker 1: if we really want to help our kids to navigate 190 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:18,240 Speaker 1: this social media minim makes legislation effectively. Stay with this. 191 00:10:26,040 --> 00:10:27,920 Speaker 1: We're back. This is the Happy Families podcast. 192 00:10:28,400 --> 00:10:30,319 Speaker 2: You said that you had three things you wanted to 193 00:10:30,360 --> 00:10:34,720 Speaker 2: walk us through navigating this period of change. Let's just 194 00:10:34,720 --> 00:10:37,160 Speaker 2: say you've got a kid they're really reluctant to give 195 00:10:37,200 --> 00:10:38,960 Speaker 2: it up. We might have one of those no idea. 196 00:10:39,040 --> 00:10:40,120 Speaker 1: What you're talking about? 197 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:41,959 Speaker 2: What are we supposed to do? 198 00:10:42,280 --> 00:10:45,120 Speaker 1: All right? First off, we've got to have the y conversation. 199 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:47,040 Speaker 1: Don't just say it's the law or social media as 200 00:10:47,040 --> 00:10:48,840 Speaker 1: battle because I said so, because I'm the parent that 201 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:52,560 Speaker 1: doesn't work. I've said this a bajillion million, gazillion times. 202 00:10:52,559 --> 00:10:54,720 Speaker 1: If you've read my books, this is the stuff where 203 00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:57,120 Speaker 1: we explore, we don't explode. It's where we get curious, 204 00:10:57,160 --> 00:10:59,360 Speaker 1: not furious. It's where we provide a really clear rationale, 205 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:01,280 Speaker 1: where we step the through so that kids will buy 206 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:05,480 Speaker 1: the why. You want to explain things like these platforms 207 00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:09,400 Speaker 1: are making money by keeping you scrolling. They use algorithms 208 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:11,840 Speaker 1: that are designed to show you content that makes you 209 00:11:11,880 --> 00:11:15,319 Speaker 1: feel something. Usually it's something to make you feel inadequate 210 00:11:15,679 --> 00:11:19,360 Speaker 1: or angry or envious, because that is the content that 211 00:11:19,480 --> 00:11:24,320 Speaker 1: keeps you compelled to be there. And also really remind 212 00:11:24,320 --> 00:11:28,960 Speaker 1: them we're not banning your friendships. We're protecting you from 213 00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:31,640 Speaker 1: big tech systems that are designed to manipulate your brain 214 00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:33,640 Speaker 1: and hijack your brain and stop you from doing the 215 00:11:33,640 --> 00:11:36,280 Speaker 1: deep inner work and using the parts of the brain 216 00:11:36,320 --> 00:11:39,920 Speaker 1: that are important. Right, Like, we're just this is about 217 00:11:40,320 --> 00:11:42,280 Speaker 1: you being healthier and happier. 218 00:11:42,480 --> 00:11:46,400 Speaker 2: And I guess it's about making them smarter consumers instead 219 00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:48,000 Speaker 2: of just compliant rule. 220 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:51,720 Speaker 1: Followers, right. Love. That second thing that I would say 221 00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:54,840 Speaker 1: is we've got to offer real alternatives, right because nature 222 00:11:55,040 --> 00:11:58,760 Speaker 1: abhors a vacuum. So I made a big deal about 223 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:00,640 Speaker 1: last year the three most important woods. You can say 224 00:12:00,640 --> 00:12:04,000 Speaker 1: to your kids just go outside, And I stand by that, 225 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:05,439 Speaker 1: but it's also a little bit glib and it's not 226 00:12:05,520 --> 00:12:07,480 Speaker 1: really helpful if you are a parent who is struggling 227 00:12:07,480 --> 00:12:09,599 Speaker 1: and going well, that's not really working. 228 00:12:09,280 --> 00:12:12,360 Speaker 2: So especially right now. Do you know how humid it 229 00:12:12,400 --> 00:12:12,959 Speaker 2: is out there? 230 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:17,600 Speaker 1: Well it is in Queensland. Yeah, we have. We have 231 00:12:17,640 --> 00:12:21,640 Speaker 1: bought a landline for our daughter. So if your children 232 00:12:21,679 --> 00:12:23,760 Speaker 1: want to talk to friends, give them a phone that 233 00:12:23,880 --> 00:12:26,960 Speaker 1: texts and calls but doesn't have a camera, or they 234 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:30,440 Speaker 1: can't send images, or one of my staff members has 235 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:32,720 Speaker 1: just bought the GM phone. Again not sponsored. I don't 236 00:12:32,720 --> 00:12:35,319 Speaker 1: get any kickbacks for talking about the phone. But it's 237 00:12:35,320 --> 00:12:38,400 Speaker 1: a phone where parental controls are really really effective, and 238 00:12:38,400 --> 00:12:39,960 Speaker 1: your kids can have a phone in a way that 239 00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:42,480 Speaker 1: you can feel good about. If they want to play 240 00:12:42,559 --> 00:12:46,800 Speaker 1: games with friends, get games that aren't massive multiplayer online games. 241 00:12:46,840 --> 00:12:48,560 Speaker 1: Get games we actually have to buy the game and 242 00:12:48,559 --> 00:12:50,440 Speaker 1: then they have to sit there playing on the console 243 00:12:50,679 --> 00:12:52,840 Speaker 1: in your living room on the TV, but it's not 244 00:12:52,840 --> 00:12:55,480 Speaker 1: connected to the internet. Those are the games where there's 245 00:12:55,559 --> 00:12:57,760 Speaker 1: fewer of the negatives associated with it. 246 00:12:58,200 --> 00:13:01,640 Speaker 2: They're feeling disconnected. Play day, you organize a hangout. 247 00:13:02,080 --> 00:13:03,600 Speaker 1: That's the face to face stuff. 248 00:13:03,679 --> 00:13:04,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's so important. 249 00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:07,560 Speaker 1: And the third thing, and this I think is maybe 250 00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:10,240 Speaker 1: the most important all is model what you're asking. So 251 00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:13,120 Speaker 1: if you, as a parent, are laying on the bed 252 00:13:13,240 --> 00:13:15,320 Speaker 1: and scrolling Instagram for what was supposed to be thirty 253 00:13:15,320 --> 00:13:18,520 Speaker 1: seconds but it ended up being thirty minutes, stop because 254 00:13:18,520 --> 00:13:20,280 Speaker 1: you're sending a really clear message and you're not sending 255 00:13:20,280 --> 00:13:22,560 Speaker 1: the message on the phone. You're sending the message to 256 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:25,679 Speaker 1: the eyeballs of your child who is watching you do it. 257 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:29,360 Speaker 1: If you're complaining about the band and your doom scrolling yourself, 258 00:13:29,360 --> 00:13:31,720 Speaker 1: your kids are going to notice. So if you want 259 00:13:31,760 --> 00:13:35,160 Speaker 1: them off screens, create not a screen based childhood, but 260 00:13:35,200 --> 00:13:37,079 Speaker 1: a play based children and show them what an adult, 261 00:13:37,559 --> 00:13:42,199 Speaker 1: play based childhood looks like like. Life is not supposed 262 00:13:42,200 --> 00:13:43,880 Speaker 1: to be phone dependent. 263 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:46,960 Speaker 2: We're a few weeks in now New Year's has come 264 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:50,719 Speaker 2: and gone, and I made a really conscious effort this 265 00:13:50,840 --> 00:13:54,120 Speaker 2: year to make some changes. I removed all of the 266 00:13:54,200 --> 00:13:57,600 Speaker 2: games off my phone. I taken social media off my 267 00:13:57,640 --> 00:14:02,520 Speaker 2: phone woo, and it literally is a communication device for 268 00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:08,079 Speaker 2: a navigation tool. And what was really curious was our 269 00:14:08,160 --> 00:14:11,199 Speaker 2: younger daughter needed to talk to somebody and the number 270 00:14:11,280 --> 00:14:13,000 Speaker 2: was on my phone, and so she asked if she 271 00:14:13,040 --> 00:14:16,080 Speaker 2: could FaceTime her friend and I said that that was fine. 272 00:14:16,240 --> 00:14:19,160 Speaker 2: And after she'd finished, I kind of was looking for 273 00:14:19,200 --> 00:14:20,720 Speaker 2: my phone and I said, what have you done with it? 274 00:14:21,080 --> 00:14:22,840 Speaker 2: And she said, I put it back in the office 275 00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:25,200 Speaker 2: because I've made a conscious decision that it's going to 276 00:14:25,280 --> 00:14:27,360 Speaker 2: charge in the office. And it's out of my bedroom, 277 00:14:27,440 --> 00:14:30,120 Speaker 2: it's out of our living space. There's no primer for 278 00:14:30,160 --> 00:14:33,040 Speaker 2: me to pick it up, and she's already picked that 279 00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:35,120 Speaker 2: up and it's just gone straight back there. 280 00:14:35,240 --> 00:14:38,880 Speaker 1: Great story. The ban, the social media minimum age legislation, 281 00:14:38,960 --> 00:14:41,200 Speaker 1: let's call it what it is. Is not perfect. It 282 00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:43,960 Speaker 1: is very messy. It's being tested in the courts, but 283 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:47,440 Speaker 1: I read it right now and kids are clearly finding workarounds. 284 00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:52,200 Speaker 1: But you know what it's done. It's changed the default 285 00:14:52,920 --> 00:14:56,680 Speaker 1: for the first time, Big tech has to justify why 286 00:14:56,800 --> 00:15:02,680 Speaker 1: children should be on their platforms and rather than parents 287 00:15:02,880 --> 00:15:05,920 Speaker 1: justifying to their kids why they shouldn't be on the platforms. 288 00:15:06,160 --> 00:15:07,920 Speaker 1: And to me, that's progress. 289 00:15:08,280 --> 00:15:08,360 Speaker 3: Now. 290 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:09,760 Speaker 1: Of course, we've got to do the hard work. We've 291 00:15:09,760 --> 00:15:11,560 Speaker 1: got to teach our kids why these platforms it is 292 00:15:11,600 --> 00:15:14,320 Speaker 1: on to harm them and give them better ways to connect. 293 00:15:14,400 --> 00:15:16,280 Speaker 1: But I think that we're on the road to that. 294 00:15:17,080 --> 00:15:18,840 Speaker 1: There's the update. We hope that that's useful, and we 295 00:15:18,880 --> 00:15:21,280 Speaker 1: hope that those three ideas are hand is well. Check 296 00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:23,080 Speaker 1: the show notes if you'd like more, and we are 297 00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:25,480 Speaker 1: going to put together a blog and stick it on 298 00:15:25,520 --> 00:15:28,520 Speaker 1: the website to give you more information about the stuff 299 00:15:28,520 --> 00:15:31,120 Speaker 1: we've talked about today. Hopefully that's going to be helpful. 300 00:15:31,280 --> 00:15:34,560 Speaker 1: The Happy Families podcast is produced by Justin Ruland from 301 00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:38,400 Speaker 1: Bridge Media. Mim Hammond provides research, admin and all of 302 00:15:38,440 --> 00:15:41,520 Speaker 1: our other support and for more information. To make your 303 00:15:41,560 --> 00:15:45,440 Speaker 1: family happier, visit us at happy families dot com dot 304 00:15:45,480 --> 00:15:45,680 Speaker 1: a u