Children of the Digital Age

1 day ago

Just wanted to give a shout out for an old friend and share some of the incredible images created by the very talented #cork Graphic Design Artist Jason O Gorman.

He's created absolutely world class illustrations since the start of the year. While the first certainly captures the pain we are all experiencing during the #COVID19 lockdown, the others are an excellent light hearted combination of famous characters and well known locations from around #corkcity in #ireland

If you're thinking of getting somebody a non-techie gift this year, check out his website www.jasonogorman.ie/

Only too delighted to recommend an old classmate for the amazing talented content he's producing right now. ... See MoreSee Less

Just like the Titanic, your online life is far from Unsinkable – Children of the Digital Age

2 days ago

It's an old post but even more relevant today.

childrenofthedigitalage.org/just-like-the-titanic-your-online-life-is-far-from-unsinkable/ ... See MoreSee Less

childrenofthedigitalage.org

Children of the Digital Age, Internet Safety, Cyber Safety, Online Child Protection, Workshops, Parents Education

3 days ago

Speaking to young children this week, the level of real world bullying directly as a consequence of not having a presence online was high.

Kids were considered loners, for not having any online presence. Kids sitting in their pods at a table using bad language, actually teased a child for not the same. 'Everyone, talks to each other like that online", they proclaimed in their defence.

Children were bullied for not having any skins for Fortnite characters, and others were excluded from play by peers because they didn't know any TikTok dances.

Listening to these children, really affords an insight in to how powerful and pervasive consumer commercialism is being driven by tech companies. These products are targeted at very young vulnerable and highly influencible kids.

Unfortunately, there appears to be a complete void in morality when it comes to the negative impact this is having on all children. If we look at this from the perspective of any child being targeted over these issues they need to see how trivial this is. They need to see they are not at fault, nor should they feel like they have to follow the herd.

Here you have children who feel it's inappropriate to use bad language. Others who treasure tangible items in the real world, rather than a few lines of computer code that only has a perceived value in a game environment, then vanishes upon leaving the game.

To see a child belittled by other children for not knowing a TicTok dance, reflects more on the parents who permit access to the platform, than these children themselves. There's a certain irony in bullying caused directly by a platform none of the children should have access to..

Young children who post content can become absolutely consumed by the attention they receive, Feedback validation becomes something they crave and boast about to others. This is the path to self over exposure and one that can lead a child directly in to the hands of an online sexual predator.

In reality the bullied, were far safer than their tormentors. It is they who were the ones most at risk of harm. Regardles, adults had facilitated all of these kids concerns, that none of the kids should have had to worry about at all. ... See MoreSee Less

5 days ago

As the country faces tighter restrictions to address #covid19, we all need to allow for extra consideration for children. The crisis has dramatically increased the potential for #abuse and #neglect.

#NSPCC research is warning of strains on families, increased vulnerability of isolated children and the challenge of at-risk young people who are currently hidden from professionals and the community.

It is crucial as much as possible is done to protect children from adverse childhood experiences. If left unchecked or. addressed, this can result in both short and long-term harm, which leads to emotional and mental health problems, and may also have a long-term costs to society as a whole.

It’s vital for professionals to be able to reach children, especially during this second lockdown. Families will receive online safety support through the medium of video technology and face-to-face meetings here on this platform.

If there any concerns that a child may be at risk of harm, online or off, it should be reported to the relevant authorities.

We should all be exceptionally vigilant and conscious of the number of #sexualpredators seeking to access, groom and abuse young people via social media and other online platforms such as Gaming.

Please let us know what you need and we will endeavour to make it available.

#digitalparenting ... See MoreSee Less

5 days ago

Advances in automation technology threaten a significant share of jobs in industries accounting for nearly a quarter of the global workforce, according to Bloomberg Economics’ estimates.

In a report released Tuesday, economists Ziad Daoud and Scott Johnson said that could mean as many as 800 million people face a high exposure to the risk of their employment becoming obsolete. The Gulf Cooperation Council, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Japan are most vulnerable to disruption from automation, they wrote.

That’s because those countries have a large segment of the workforce in the kind of simple, routine roles that can be most easily replaced by machines or already rely on cheap labor for tasks. Examples include clerical support in Japan or plant operations in central European nations.

Who Is Most Exposed to Automation?

Greater automation risks creating higher income inequality, the economists wrote. While robots were previously thought to threaten mainly low-skilled jobs, now they are seen replacing roles that can be broken down into simple mechanical steps instead. Those often fall in the middle of the income distribution, resulting in a polarization effect.

It’s not all bad news though. Some of the most-exposed countries also have rapidly aging populations, meaning the technology could help offset demographic headwinds in their economies, Daoud and Johnson said.

Read more:GLOBAL INSIGHT: Rise of Robots Risks Your Job, 800 Million MoreChina Far Outpaces America in Bringing Robots to FactoriesThe Virus Is Putting Britain’s Next Industrial Revolution on IceVirus Fallout Could Accelerate Europe’s Robot Revolution ... See MoreSee Less