Devices, always connected to the internet, play a significant role in the childhood of our
youngest generations. There’s so much that is good in this, and so much also that is an
outright threat to their mental and emotional well-being. You might think that the worst of this
is cyberbullying or exposure to pornography, but unfortunately, the internet is also awash in
violent and gory, cruel and upsetting content.
Many parents don’t grasp or fully consider the vastness of internet content, some of it
specifically linked to children’s interests. A shocking example of this was brought to light in
the latest episode of the FYI play it safe podcast, Sip the Tea. A young tween recounts how
he was an ardent My Little Pony fan when he was little and how he inadvertently stumbled
upon animated content showing the disturbing torture and massacre of the little ponies he
loved. Years later, this childhood shock and horror is still on his mind.
Rachelle Best, founder of FYI play it safe says, “When we planned the production of our Sip
the Tea podcast, I knew that we were going to get some real stories about pornography and
cyberbullying but I didn’t realise the full extent of exposure to the upsetting content our
children have come across. I didn’t realise that the most loaded question I had to ask would
be: ‘What is the worst thing you have seen online?’. Every answer I got held a shock for me,
and I would have to compose myself consciously. The range, and the amount of upsetting
content out there is unbelievable. The vast majority of exposure to upsetting content came
from links passed onto them or from Discord servers inviting them to participate. The trouble
is that once you have consumed certain content, then the algorithms take over and play a
major role in feeding more and more of this extreme, upsetting content.”
The Sip the Tea podcast is going ‘behind the screens’ of South African children and bringing
to light the real-life experiences in their digital lives. Through skilful and sensitive guided
conversations, Rachelle is succeeding in providing parents and educators not just with an
expanded view and deeper insights, but also practical advice on how to improve protecting
kids online. Key to this is fostering open communications between tweens, teens and the
important adults in their lives. Across the wide-ranging first season of Sip the Tea, Rachelle
shows that our children want to have opportunities to safely have conversations about their
digital lives and their disturbing experiences. Threats of taking away their devices or being
shamed for stumbling across certain content inhibit or completely shut down these
opportunities. Parents need to rethink their strategies for keeping their kids safer online.
Stepping away from judgement and punishment enables parents to have trusted, open
conversations with their children. This presents more chances to know what your children
are experiencing and gives parents more opportunities to help their children process
upsetting content.
The Sip the Tea episode on upsetting content is an eye-opener. When you put a device in
their hands, no parents imagines that their child might see a live stream of someone
committing suicide. But this happened to a South African boy when he was just thirteen
years of age. The person was not a stranger – it was his best friend.
Rachelle says, “Children are born curious. If you send them a link, they will click on it.
Unless you talk regularly to your child about the scope of upsetting content on the internet,
and unless you have a real intention to raise a responsible digital citizen, chances are high
that they will be exposed to upsetting content, and they may also share it. It’s important that
parents have hard conversations with their kids about what’s out there, why it is wise to
avoid it and how to do that. Children are not just curious, they are also impressionable, and
unfortunately, exposure to upsetting content can have long-lasting effects.”
Research has shown that exposure to horror, violence, cruelty, and gore can significantly
disrupt children’s well-being. Impacts include fearfulness and anxiety, sleeplessness and
nightmares, trauma response and post-traumatic stress, as well as behaviour change.
These may be short-term consequences, but a long-term effect may be desensitisation and
diminishing of natural empathy, kindness and sensitivity to others.
To learn more about the platforms that are the main sources of upsetting content, and how
and why it goes viral, tune into Sip the Tea.
Parents, principals, teachers, and community leaders are invited to join the free webinar Sip
the Tea – Unfiltered truth from our children on 14 March 2024. FYI play it safe CEO,
Rachelle Best will be reviewing the findings and learnings from Season 1 of Sip the Tea and
discussing social media and the apps our children are using; stranger danger and online
grooming; exposure to explicit and upsetting content; and cyber bullying.
You can find Sip the Tea on all major podcasting platforms, including Apple Podcasts,
Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more.
Episode 1 Teens and technology
Episode 2 Social Media and the apps our children are using
Episode 3 Stranger danger & online grooming
Episode 4 Pornography
Episode 5 Pornography addiction
Episode 6 Gaming
Episode 7 Cyber bullying
Episode 8 Upsetting content
For more information visit www.fyiplayitsafe.com