Outside the Screen Podcast

Outside the Screen
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A podcast about families and screens outsidethescreen.substack.com

  1. Aug 10

    Ep 66: Footy sponsorship, an invisible fox and a petition

    I have recently been corresponding with my Year 5 teacher - and when I was going to be visiting him,* for once in my life I was glad I’m a hoarder. This was because I still have my composition book from when I was in his class, back in the 70s. I thought he’d get a blast out of seeing it. Well I got a bit of a blast myself when I read the piece I’d written about ‘The Ideal School’. As a child I thought it would be great to have ‘a TV on every desk, and we would do our lessons through these’. I also thought there should be an intercom system in the classroom where you could dial up the person you wanted to speak to, and be connected. Imagine my astonishment when I learnt that a parents’ group in Australia has mounted a petition, 50+ years later, to get screens out of classrooms. The group in question being the one founded by our very own Dany, we get to have a good chat in this episode about the issues, and why you might want to become a signatory. (No pressure at all of course; as you know, we are all about informed decisions!) Meanwhile we also cover a recent report about sponsorship in the AFL and NRL (including an explanation of those initials for any overseas listeners), and we also, sadly, hear Glenn’s last review. (Any thoughts about how to bring reviews to you in future, let us know!) It’s been great fun getting used to working with Dany, and I hope you will agree that he brings a fresh, honest and thoughtful voice to the pod. Thanks for tuning in! By subscribing to Outside the Screen Podcast you are supporting Children and Media Australia, a national non-profit bringing an evidence-based lens to children’s rights as media users. *Cover photo shows flowers I gave my hosts Show notes FARE report: Alcohol and gambling sponsorship in Australian sport (2026) https://fare.org.au/state-of-play-alcohol-gambling-ads-afl-nrl/; see also ACMA decision on revised Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice: https://www.acma.gov.au/articles/2025-06/acma-decision-revised-commercial-television-industry-code-practice Arctic Justice review: https://childrenandmedia.org.au/movie-reviews/movies/arctic-justice Arctic Justice availability in Australia: https://www.flicks.com.au/movie/arctic-justice/ Zooming Out details: Heads Up Alliance petition http://www.change.org/LessScreensMoreLearning; see also https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZN4cmqv5bzwnCFTbIbTSakWLGyVGhsDSX55T3SlN_MU/edit?usp=share_link Find us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Substack Apple Podcasts Spotify OR search your favourite listening platform (let us know if it’s not there! – outsidethescreenpod[at]gmail.com) Children and Media Australia (CMA) You can find the Children and Media Australia Know Before You Go service via this link. Then, depending what you’re looking for, you can sort the list or search by title alphabetically, by age suitability, by classification or by date added. All of the reviews are prepared by people with training in child development, and they cover every G and PG title released in Australian cinemas since 2002, as well as selected M-rated movies and some pre-2002 ones that are available on streaming services. Or at this link, you can access Know Before You Load – reviews of game style apps and apps that may appeal to young children. These cover some extra things that are relevant to games, like data collection and gambling-like content. You might also like to sign up for our KBYG Weekly newsletter about the latest reviews, and join the CMA facebook community. Heads Up Alliance (HUA) All contact details and other info here: https://linktr.ee/theheadsupalliance Get full access to Outside the Screen Podcast at outsidethescreen.substack.com/subscribe

    Ep 66: Footy sponsorship, an invisible fox and a petition

  2. Jul 27

    Ep 65: Social media safety features, and welcome Dany!

    (Cover image: a very pleasant walk on the beach at Surfer’s Paradise, last month) It’s a great pleasure to welcome our new co-host, Dany Elachi. Dany is the founder of the Heads Up Alliance, and a father 5 who is passionate about giving children the best possible upbringing, with minimal screen engagement. He will be able to keep us informed about what’s going on in the advocacy world, as well as bringing his well-informed insights to the usual range of subjects we discuss on the pod. Nice to have you aboard, Dany! We’re celebrating with new theme music and a new ‘whoosh’ (the technical term for the sound we play between segments) - why not celebrate yourself, by becoming a subscriber? Outside the Screen Podcast is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This episode is a simple one for starters, where we just talk about one research report. But there is a lot in there, covering 4 different platforms and 86 different safety features that they had announced. Guess how many of these were in place and effective? Nah, don’t guess, just have a listen! We should note, however, that the platforms in question have responded to the report, and they aren’t in agreement with what it says. There is a link to a news article below, where you can get their perspective. We’ll be back in a month or so with an episode about screens in schools. Meanwhile we would love to have your comments on this one (or anything else, even any pleasant walks on the beach you’ve had recently). Show notes Our new co-host, Dany Elachi: https://linktr.ee/theheadsupalliance Safety features report: Lexie Matsumoto, Arturo Béjar, Abdulraheem Arar, Damon McCoy, & Laura Edelson, Broken, Buried or Missing: Anatomies of Failure (and Success) of Social Media Child Safety Features (Heat Initiative and Cybersafety Research Center, 2026) https://cybersafetyresearch.org/broken_buried_missing.pdf News item: https://www.scrippsnews.com/science-and-tech/more-than-half-of-social-media-child-safety-features-arent-working-per-report Find us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Substack Apple Podcasts Spotify OR search your favourite listening platform (let us know if it’s not there! – outsidethescreenpod[at]gmail.com) You can find the Children and Media Australia Know Before You Go service via this link. Then, depending what you’re looking for, you can sort the list or search by title alphabetically, by age suitability, by classification or by date added. All of the reviews are prepared by people with training in child development, and they cover every G and PG title released in Australian cinemas since 2002, as well as selected M-rated movies and some pre-2002 ones that are available on streaming services. Or at this link, you can access Know Before You Load – reviews of game style apps and apps that may appeal to young children. These cover some extra things that are relevant to games, like data collection and gambling-like content. You might also like to sign up for our KBYG Weekly newsletter about the latest reviews, and join the CMA facebook community, or add us on LinkedIn. Get full access to Outside the Screen Podcast at outsidethescreen.substack.com/subscribe

  3. Jun 28

    Episode 64: SMMA evaluation and classification reform

    Hi Outsiders, finally I’ve been able to create a new episode! At first I wondered if I still had the skills, but fear not. I got through it. It’s been an interesting day today, because when I woke up this morning and checked my phone, there was a text from a producer at ABC News Radio, asking if they could interview me about the proposed changes to the social media minimum age (SMMA) legislation. Well I hadn’t heard about such changes, but that didn’t stop me! I boned up quickly, and did the interview here. Would love to have any feedback. In the course of that I came across the article that I discuss here in Paper Round. It’s by a team of 10, and the lead author is a postdoctoral fellow in public health at the University of Newcastle. From what I can see, the article - which aims to assess the impact of the SMMA legislation on younger teens’ social media use - has had quite some impact on the discussion. A lot of ‘See? I told you so’-type messages are flying around. So it was a great opportunity to do a bit of analysis of their approach and findings. In the course of the Paper Round segment I make reference to the demographic makeup of the participants, and promise to give further info here. So: NSW residents were 67% of participants, and are about 31% of all young Australians. Residents of major cities: 84% and 75%, respectively; and born in Australia: 94% and 79%. Interestingly, the authors say on these last two measures the participant group is ‘broadly consistent with national demographic patterns’. I then Zoom Out to give a bit of a history of attempts to reform the National Classification Scheme (NCS) for films, games and publications, culminating in a report about CMA’s submission to the most recent round of proposals. I will of course update you when there are any developments. Meanwhile there are plenty of links below, and I’m always happy to answer questions. Until then, happy listening, and don’t forget to hit subscribe, if you haven’t already, and spread the word! I’d love to have the encouragement :-D Outside the Screen Podcast is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Show notes The Paper Courtney Barnes et al, ‘Assessing early effects of Australia’s Social Media Minimum Age Act on adolescents’ social media use: observational study’ (2026) BMJ 393; doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2026-363695 (Published 24 June 2026) (or you can just click here) The government’s announcement of enhanced penalties and powers under the SMMA legislation: https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/wells/media-release/stronger-powers-and-double-penalties-world-leading-social-media-law The Zoom * CMA submission on Mettlesome Report: https://childrenandmedia.org.au/assets/files/taking-action/cma-submission-on-classification-standards-may2026.pdf * CMA full explanation of age-based classifications proposal: https://childrenandmedia.org.au/taking-action/current-campaigns/classification * Mettlesome Report: https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/department/media/publications/update-modernise-and-harmonise-classification-guidelines-2025 * Stevens Review: https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/review-of-australian-classification-regulation--may2020.pdf * Australian Law Reform Commission report: https://www.alrc.gov.au/inquiry/national-classification-scheme-review/ * All the rest of CMA’s submissions: https://childrenandmedia.org.au/taking-action/our-submissions The Housekeeping Find us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Substack Apple Podcasts Spotify OR search your favourite listening platform (let me know if it’s not there! – outsidethescreenpod[at]gmail.com) Children and Media Australia (CMA) Most importantly: the EOFY fundraiser is here: www.givenow.com.au/kbyg2. It’s open until 6 July. After that, you can still use our GoFundMe at https://www.gofundme.com/f/keep-CMAs-review-services-free. Any donation, large or small, is greatly appreciated, and as long as it’s at least $2, it’s also tax-deductible. You can find the Children and Media Australia Know Before You Go service via this link. Then, depending what you’re looking for, you can sort the list or search by title alphabetically, by age suitability, by classification or by date added. All of the reviews are prepared by people with training in child development, and they cover every G and PG title released in Australian cinemas since 2002, as well as selected M-rated movies and some pre-2002 ones that are available on streaming services. Or at this link, you can access Know Before You Load – reviews of game style apps and apps that may appeal to young children. These cover some extra things that are relevant to games, like data collection and gambling-like content. You might also like to sign up for our KBYG Weekly newsletter about the latest reviews, and join the CMA facebook community. Get full access to Outside the Screen Podcast at outsidethescreen.substack.com/subscribe

    Episode 64: SMMA evaluation and classification reform

  4. 10/24/2025

    Ep 63: Gambling, an invisible fox, and gossiping over ice cream

    Hello there, listeners, it’s been a while! Funny how some time away can make you lose your mojo, so it takes a while to get back into the podcast production groove. Add to that a lousy cold (punishment for excellent overseas travel*) and a raised paver + hands in pockets equalling bruised ribs … definitely not a good idea to be podcasting while feeling sorry for self. Well there are my excuses, and here is my apology, to anybody who missed the pod over the last few months. It’s great to be back, and I hope this one is worth the wait. The paper is about gambling - specifically the connection between novel forms (like lootboxes) and the onset of problem gambling. It also looks at different kind of psychological conditions and how they might make some people vulnerable to developing a bad relationship with gambling. Nothing terribly surprising, as we so often find, but knowing the facts can confirm what we know about how to protect our children from risks: choose content carefully, give lots of emotional support, keep an eye on things, and keep the lines of communication open. Outside the Screen Podcast is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support Children and Media Australia, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Glenn gives us a review of Arctic Justice, an animated adventure where the baddy is a climate vandal Walrus. Recommended for 7 and up, and don’t forget, any time you want you can use the CMA website to find a review of any G or PG movie released in cinemas in the last 23 years, plus quite a few M ones. You can also search by age to find something just right for your child. Then I analyse a recent complaint report on an Australian ad for what they call an ‘occasional food’. What starts out as a complaint about bullying ends up as a finding about something quite different. You’ll hear my musings on the nature of the ad self-regulation system generally, as well as the particulars of the complaint, the advertiser’s response and the community panel’s findings. (By the way, as always, I don’t mention the name of the advertiser - see if you can guess! You can check by clicking on the link to the report, below.) Well it’s nice to know I haven’t completely forgotten to do this! Let me know what you think, about the episode or anything else, here: Show notes Canadian/US paper: Jeremie Richard and Serena King, ‘Annual Research Review: Emergence of problem gambling from childhood to emerging adulthood: a systematic review ‘ (2023) 64(4) Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 645-88 doi:10.1111/jcpp.13713 Arctic Justice review: https://childrenandmedia.org.au/movie-reviews/movies/arctic-justice Arctic Justice availability in Australia: https://www.flicks.com.au/movie/arctic-justice/ Zooming Out details: Complaint report https://adstandards.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/0321-24.pdf; AANA Codes https://aana.com.au/self-regulation/ Find us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Substack Apple Podcasts Spotify OR search your favourite listening platform (let me know if it’s not there! – outsidethescreenpod[at]gmail.com) Children and Media Australia (CMA) You can find the Know Before You Go movie review service via this link. Then, depending what you’re looking for, you can sort the list or search by title alphabetically, by age suitability, by classification or by date added. All of the reviews are prepared by people with training in child development, and they cover every G and PG title released in Australian cinemas since 2002, as well as selected M-rated movies and some pre-2002 ones that are available on streaming services. Or at this link, you can access Know Before You Load – reviews of game style apps and apps that may appeal to young children. These cover some extra things that are relevant to games, like data collection and gambling-like content. You might also like to sign up for our KBYG Weekly newsletter about the latest reviews, and join the CMA facebook community. *Picture is of me at a wedding in Brittany. I know, I know. Get full access to Outside the Screen Podcast at outsidethescreen.substack.com/subscribe

  5. 07/06/2025

    Ep 62: A bit of causation, a Big Fat Liar, and the return of Kim

    Yes, I do still know how to make a podcast - what a relief. I was starting to wonder for a minute there. It’s a great pleasure to bring you this episode, and stop beating myself up for losing the rhythm. Paper Round is on an Australian article about socio-emotional development and screen use. Are children who spend a lot of time on screens more likely than others to act out, or to become withdrawn and disengaged? There are some very helpful findings here on causation - something to really savour! In the movie review segment, Glenn talks us through a film featuring one of my favourite actors, Paul Giamatti (whom you might have seen in The Holdovers, Billions, or John Adams). Or maybe you’re a fan of Frankie Muniz or Amanda Bynes … I don’t usually talk about the cast of the movies we review but this one is rather a cut above! More importantly, of course, 2002’s Big Fat Liar could be a lot of fun and spark some interesting conversations with your over-6 children. And then in Zooming Out, well, Dr Kim zooms back to the studio to talk about age-inappropriate games and the role he plays in supporting parents to hold the line against them. Tune in again soon for an episode covering gambling, food ads and social media, but meanwhile: hope you enjoy this one! Show notes Vasconcellos et al paper: Roberta Pires Vasconcellos, Taren Sanders, Chris Lonsdale, Philip Parker, James Conigrave, Samantha Tang, Borja del Pozo Cruz, Stuart J. H. Biddle, Rachael Taylor, Christine Innes-Hughes, Katariina Salmela-Aro, Diego Vasconcellos, Katrina Wilhite, Ella Tremaine, Bridget Booker and Michael Noetel, ‘Electronic Screen Use and Children’s Socioemotional Problems: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Longitudinal Studies’ (2025) 151 (5) Psychological Bulletin 513–43 https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000468 Big Fat Liar review: https://childrenandmedia.org.au/movie-reviews/movies/big-fat-liar Big Fat Liar availability in Australia: https://www.flicks.com.au/movie/big-fat-liar/ Zooming Out details: Kim’s clinic website https://www.cgiclinic.com/; Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/cgiclini/; Outcome of class action against Epic Games regarding in-game purchases: https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/refunds/fortnite-refunds; and here’s an update on the reports about the ESRB and facial recognition: https://www.ign.com/articles/esrb-facial-age-recognition-tech-response Find us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Substack Apple Podcasts Spotify OR search your favourite listening platform (let me know if it’s not there! – outsidethescreenpod[at]gmail.com) Children and Media Australia (CMA) You can find the Children and Media Australia Know Before You Go service via this link. Then, depending what you’re looking for, you can sort the list or search by title alphabetically, by age suitability, by classification or by date added. All of the reviews are prepared by people with training in child development, and they cover every G and PG title released in Australian cinemas since 2002, as well as selected M-rated movies and some pre-2002 ones that are available on streaming services. Or at this link, you can access Know Before You Load – reviews of game style apps and apps that may appeal to young children. These cover some extra things that are relevant to games, like data collection and gambling-like content. You might also like to sign up for our KBYG Weekly newsletter about the latest reviews, and join the CMA facebook community. Get full access to Outside the Screen Podcast at outsidethescreen.substack.com/subscribe

  6. 05/25/2025

    At last, the news you've been waiting for!

    I’ve been promising for a while to let you know what’s going on - and here is the news! As always I’d be delighted to hear from you, to be recommended to your friends and colleagues, etc etc. (I’m sure you know the drill.) And as always, I’m providing links so you can access some of the most useful info around, to support parents and families who are trying to find the best screen experiences. Watch out for the next full episode, coming soon! Meanwhile, find us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Substack Apple Podcasts Spotify OR search your favourite listening platform (let me know if it’s not there! – outsidethescreenpod[at]gmail.com) Children and Media Australia (CMA) You can find the Children and Media Australia Know Before You Go service via this link. Then, depending what you’re looking for, you can sort the list or search by title alphabetically, by age suitability, by classification or by date added. All of the reviews are prepared by people with training in child development, and they cover every G and PG title released in Australian cinemas since 2002, as well as selected M-rated movies and some pre-2002 ones that are available on streaming services. Or at this link, you can access Know Before You Load – reviews of game style apps and apps that may appeal to young children. These cover some extra things that are relevant to games, like data collection and gambling-like content. You might also like to sign up for our KBYG Weekly newsletter about the latest reviews, and join the CMA facebook community. Outside the Screen Podcast is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Outside the Screen Podcast at outsidethescreen.substack.com/subscribe

  7. 05/02/2025

    Ep 61: More on kidfluencers

    Good to be back! I had a lovely few weeks swanning (or rather traipsing) around Portugal, Spain, Norway* and Denmark, and now it’s back down to business. I’m pleased to advise I finally got a chance to interview my former colleague Andrew Stewart about the state of affairs regarding kidfluencers in Australia. (It only took 19 episodes, but who’s counting?) While I said back in Episode 42 that I thought child protection law had the best scope for preventing harm and exploitation, Andrew suggests special guidelines under workplace health and safety law - to address the special needs and vulnerabilities of children. Bit of a theme developing there. Lots more gems of information and insight, so don’t miss this interview. In Paper Round I take you through an article about screen time rules - and as usual the message is that it’s not just about length of time, it’s about the quality of the content AND the time of day. While the findings of the study seem quite small and localised, they can spark a lot of reflection on the general utility, not just of rules themselves, but of their content and the way they are enforced. I also mention in this episode that I’m going to have an announcement soon about the future of the podcast. I’m mentioning it here, too. Watch this space. Or subscribe and you’ll get an email when something happens. No review this week, but there’s a link below where you can access Know Before You Go and Know Before You Load. Glenn will be back next episode. *The background photo is a detail from a wall in the Oslo City Hall. Show notes New Zealand paper: Ladan Hashemi, Maryam Ghasemi, Deborah Schlichting, Maryam Pirouzi, Cameron Grant and Boyd Swinburn, 'Prospective relationship between family screen time rules, obesogenic behaviours, and childhood obesity' (2024) European Journal of Public Health https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckae169 Zooming Out details: Professor Andrew Stewart; Episode 42 Find us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Substack Apple Podcasts Spotify OR search your favourite listening platform (let me know if it’s not there! – outsidethescreenpod[at]gmail.com) Children and Media Australia (CMA) You can find the Children and Media Australia Know Before You Go service via this link. Then, depending what you’re looking for, you can sort the list or search by title alphabetically, by age suitability, by classification or by date added. All of the reviews are prepared by people with training in child development, and they cover every G and PG title released in Australian cinemas since 2002, as well as selected M-rated movies and some pre-2002 ones that are available on streaming services. Or at this link, you can access Know Before You Load – reviews of game style apps and apps that may appeal to young children. These cover some extra things that are relevant to games, like data collection and gambling-like content. You might also like to sign up for our KBYG Weekly newsletter about the latest reviews, and join the CMA facebook community. Get full access to Outside the Screen Podcast at outsidethescreen.substack.com/subscribe

  8. 03/16/2025

    Ep 60: Sarah Davies on holding tech companies accountable

    This episode is a little different, as I’ve devoted the whole thing to a single interview (see below). I’ve been wondering if I could maybe bring in a few alternative formats for individual episodes, for example not having a Paper Round or a movie review every single time. Let me know what you think! Are you just as happy to hear a long interview as to be getting info about research and movies? The interview is with Sarah Davies AM, the CEO of the Alannah and Madeline Foundation. She joined me to discuss a new, iceberg-based infographic that the Foundation has published, to just show how concerned we should be about data privacy. I also mention my plan to take a month’s break from the production schedule, so expect me back in your inbox in late April. If you miss me, let me know! Outside the Screen is a listener-supported podcast. To receive new episodes and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Show notes Alannah and Madeline Foundation: https://www.alannahandmadeline.org.au/ Iceberg infographic: https://www.alannahandmadeline.org.au/what-we-do/advocacy/digital-rights/tech-iceberg Digitalk: https://www.alannahandmadeline.org.au/learning-resources/digitalk Beacon app: https://beacon.thekids.org.au/ Find us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Substack Apple Podcasts Spotify OR search your favourite listening platform (let me know if it’s not there! – outsidethescreenpod[at]gmail.com) Children and Media Australia (CMA) You can find the Children and Media Australia Know Before You Go service via this link. Then, depending what you’re looking for, you can sort the list or search by title alphabetically, by age suitability, by classification or by date added. All of the reviews are prepared by people with training in child development, and they cover every G and PG title released in Australian cinemas since 2002, as well as selected M-rated movies and some pre-2002 ones that are available on streaming services. Or at this link, you can access Know Before You Load – reviews of game style apps and apps that may appeal to young children. These cover some extra things that are relevant to games, like data collection and gambling-like content. You might also like to sign up for our KBYG Weekly newsletter about the latest reviews, and join the CMA facebook community. The GoFundMe page is here. Remember, it’s tax-deductible! Get full access to Outside the Screen Podcast at outsidethescreen.substack.com/subscribe

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About

A podcast about families and screens outsidethescreen.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Outside the Screen
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    74
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Elizabeth Handsley
  • Show Website
    Outside the Screen Podcast