👻 More Than Robots #82 October 2024
Halloween is not until the end of the month, but plenty of terrifying stuff is already happening. So here are some treats ... and a few tricks.
Boo!
Halloween is not until the end of the month but plenty of terrifying stuff is already happening. So here are some treats ... and a few tricks. Don't have nightmares.
📖 Research
Data-Driven Parenting
New policies designed to inform parental use of tools to monitor their children digitally must balance children’s safety with their autonomy and self-regulation
How we retrained TikTok’s algorithm for young people.
We retrain a users' TikTok algorithm using a prototype browser extension that automates the swiping of TikTok videos. This is driven by our safeguarding guidelines based on age and what parents and young people want to see.
Creating Creativity for Future-Proofing Digital Engagement
Creativity is important for effective and lasting digital skills acquisition – but, what exactly is ‘creativity’ in this context, and, how can it be enabled with measurable effectiveness?
Protecting Children from Online Grooming
Children across diverse contexts experience digital interactions differently and thus responses to online grooming must work with children across cultures to develop effective responses. Also: Beyond the Screen: Hidden Voices of Online Abuse
Screen Time and Parent-Child Talk When Children Are Aged 12 to 36 Months
For every additional minute of screen time, children heard fewer adult words, spoke fewer vocalizations, and engaged in fewer back-and-forth interactions. Also: ‘Children say playing and adults say working’ and Digital technologies and the early childhood sector
Adolescent social media use and gaming in Europe, central Asia and Canada
A third (34%) of adolescents play digital games daily, with 22% playing for at least four hours on gaming days. Also: Left To Their Own Devices and Child of the North
Integrating Dark Patterns into the 4Cs of Online Risk in the Context of Young People and Mobile Gaming Apps
We found evidence of content, contact and conduct risks, including evidence of Dark Design being used to incentivize this risk. Also: Data Practices of Social Media and Video Streaming Services and Disrupted Childhood: The cost of persuasive design
🗳Take part
Digital Mental Health Survey
The University of Sussex are seeking parents/carers, educators and practitioner's anonymous views about how to better support children's digital mental health
Big Tech Narrative Initiative
A one-day online event to discuss storytelling's impact on Big Tech and its connection to democracy and human rights.
Talk Money Week / Nov 4-8
Events and activities which help people have more open conversations about their money – from pocket money to pensions
🧰 Resources
MeasureUp
A free way to measure and report social value, aligning with the UK Treasury's definition of wellbeing.
Online Open Source Investigation Toolkit
Free tools for satellite mapping, photo verification, and web archiving
[Feminist UX of AI]
“What might our interactions with algorithmic systems look like if they were designed from feminist values?”
Museum Data Service
A new, free platform that connects and shares object records from museums across the UK.
💡Inspiration and opinion
AI Companion Bots and Explicit Images: Understanding the Risks Posed to Young Users
Chatbot users are sending nude images to their AI companions but what happens to those images?
Minor acts of AI resistance
It’s OK to question prevailing narratives, it’s OK to push for transparency and insist on solid use cases. Start with needs, not tech, in case you need reminding. Also: Personhood credentials
People Not Code: The Case for a Digital Civil Society Observatory
The Digital Civil Society Observatory (DCSO) would draw on the empirical knowledge and expertise of the broad field of civil society to anticipate, understand, and mitigate the ongoing societal impacts of technologies and ensure that innovation delivers public benefit and a stronger society.
Children’s rights and the UN Global Digital Compact
Relatively low levels of children’s digital participation in civic, creative and critical activities underline the need to mitigate missed opportunities by providing enhanced pathways for children to thrive and prosper in a digital world. Full report