Where are the celebrities getting the stats?

Where are the celebs getting the stats?

Who are the new ‘online safety influencer experts’ and where is this expertise from exactly?

In recent months it has become very apparent that celebs, influencers and podcasters are giving out stats online about what children encounter in the online spaces they visit, especially social media and *Corn* sites that sound like the apocalypse has already occurred. 

Dontcha know 

1 in 3 children…

1 in 5 children…

1 in 10 children by the age of 9….

Children are *insert repetitive statement about devices, addiction, sleep and blue light*, blah blah blah….

Just where has this sudden expert knowledge emerged from?

Many of us, who have worked in gathering the data from these spaces such as online safety, trust and safety and those of us in academic and clinical research struggle to have consistent findings and data that support many of these claims, said in spaces where parents are taking a break from their children and watching them on…screens, I might add (but that’s not the same as the children, oh no!!)

• Why has the world gone starry eyed at the celebs on morning TV giving out scary and ‘unproven’ statistics that I cannot find in the data.
  
  
• Why are they now so concerned about child online safety, other than the correlational reason I am making here; that since they hosted Haidt and his at times tenuous data cited on their very podcasts and shows, and any hysteria that followed, the world now suddenly has the new ‘I care about your children’ gurus.

When in reality I wonder if it is more about… please follow me, click like and subscribe for higher ratings and stats on my social media feeds - so I can feel important and part of this new movement that’s just like 

*insert meme and repetitive statement about gambling, junk food s*x addiction, cars and road safety and so on*.

Those of us who work in child development do not have the studies to lean on to make these statistical inferences but lo and behold celeb gurus can make you feel like shit just in time for Christmas as you buy one of those digital killers for your children.

You bad parent you..

I wonder what it would be like if someone gave you a helping hand, let you know about what you can do to support your child and to be a good enough parent?

Ah, that wouldn’t drive their ratings now would it, and of course they are the first to tell you about the dangers of misinformation, bias and influence.

They are the first to tell you about polarised thinking and how you must do more and how we can all wait for the sky to fall because sadly I don’t believe they actually know and understand the data with which to give you advice, but it sounds good on social media (and for clicks).

Just why are they in it ‘this fight’ for your children? 

And: Croatia internet safety centre leads the way in understanding cybertrauma impact.

Recently I had the absolute pleasure of leading what I am going to call the front line for an entire country in the approach to undertaking the impact of cybertrauma.

This was a genuinely wonderful, exciting and emerging thinking from a service that is now at the forefront of advanced practice for staff and anyone who encounters online harm.

I am unbelievably thankful that Tomislav and Ivan considered this approach and I really want to encourage others to follow their lead in being able to utilise cybertrauma, trauma and psychotherapy steeped in research, practice and education for their teams.

If I could champion this anymore without sounding like I am being over the top I would. It is such a groundbreaking thing to do. Gratitude to the n'th.

Want insight rooted in actual data, not just clickbait?
If you’re a parent, professional, or policymaker looking for real, research-informed understanding around online safety, cybertrauma and child development -lets talk! Book a discovery call in with me here.