Tech Shock - from Parent Zone

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Tech Shock: everything you ever wanted to know about tech and family life. Podcasting from Parent Zone, the media literacy experts, host Vicki Shotbolt explores the upsides and downsides of family life in the digital age. With a range of expert guests, she looks at online harms to children, from pornography to gambling, and at what should be done about them. Incurably optimistic, Vicki also celebrates the many benefits of tech for children and young people, as she considers how best to live in a world in which family life is now inescapably digital. Listen every Monday, subscribe, and please give us a five star review.

  1. Jun 3

    3. Katie Searle: Switched on to privacy: chat, choose, check.

    In the third episode of Tech Shock's 12th season, Vicki is joined by Katie Searle, Director - Children's Strategy at the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). The ICO is the UK's independent regulator for data protection and information rights and their new Switched On to Privacy campaign is designed to help parents start regular, practical conversations about online privacy. Online privacy is one of the most important but least understood issues in children's digital lives. Children are building a detailed digital profile from as young as four, often sharing data they, and their parents, don't fully understand. This episode explores what that data trail looks like, where the risks lie, and what families can actually do about it. Talking points: What is online privacy, why does it matter for children, and what kinds of data are children sharing that parents might not realise?What are the specific risks - from location tracking to in-game chats - and what should parents know about sharenting and edtech data?What is the ICO's Switched On to Privacy campaign, and what are the three practical steps that parents can take today?https://ico.org.uk/switched-on-to-privacy/  Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt. Tech Shock is produced and edited by Tim Malster. www Twitter Facebook Instagram

    22 min

  2. May 28

    2. Leon Xiao: The House Always Wins. The Home Loses.

    In the second episode of Tech Shock's 12th season, Vicki is joined by Leon Xiao, Assistant Professor at City University Hong Kong, specialising in video game law and the regulation of loot boxes, gacha mechanics and other gambling-like monetisation in video games. Neither Vicki nor Leon are anti-gaming, quite the opposite. However, gaming and gambling have been converging for years and the risks remain poorly understood by many. This episode cuts through the complexity - from loot boxes and skin gambling to gacha games and social casino mechanics - asking what parents actually need to know, why regulation is failing, and what a better approach might look like. Talking points: What are the links between gaming and gambling - loot boxes, skin gambling, social casino games and gacha mechanics - and what does the emerging evidence tell us about the risks to young people?Why is regulation failing - from Belgium to the UK, why are existing laws not being enforced and does industry self-regulation stand any chance of working? What instead can the UK learn from South Korea's more proactive approach?What do parents need to know - the financial reality of loot boxes, the odds problem, and what to look out for in the games their children are playing?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt. Tech Shock is produced and edited by Tim Malster. www Twitter Facebook Instagram

    42 min

  3. May 13

    Spring Special Episode 4: Melinda Tankard Reist: ‘A Callous Society?’

    In the final episode of Tech Shock's Spring Special Series on the social media ban and government consultation, Vicki is joined by Melinda Tankard Reist. Melinda is the Movement Director of Collective Shout, a grassroots campaigning movement against the objectification of women and the sexualisation of girls. Collective Shout has been heavily involved in both the age verification trial for pornography and the raised age of access to social media in Australia. Melinda brings a distinctive voice to the series. Her contribution goes beyond the ban debate, drawing connections between social media, pornography, and violence against women and girls that are rarely made explicit in policy discussions. This episode covers some serious and challenging content, reflecting the gravity of the work Collective Shout does every day. Talking points: What has Australia's experience of raising the age of access to social media taught us and what are the limitations of the platforms currently covered?What is the evidence for the links between social media, pornography, and violence against women and girls — and what does Collective Shout's grassroots work reveal about the scale of harm?What needs to change at a systemic level — in the legal system, in schools, and in culture — and is there reason to be hopeful?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt. Tech Shock is produced and edited by Tim Malster. www Twitter Facebook Instagram

    46 min

  4. Apr 28

    1. Natalie Foos: VoiceBox and AI chatbot support for parents

    In the first episode of Tech Shock's 12th season, Vicki is joined by Natalie Foos, Director of VoiceBox — a global youth organisation that surfaces the lived experience of young people for decision makers. VoiceBox has long acted as an early warning system on emerging digital risks, and their Coded Companions report, published three years ago, was one of the first to examine the risks of young people forming relationships with AI chatbots. In this episode, Natalie shares findings from VoiceBox's latest collaboration with Parent Zone. They tested five leading AI chatbots to see how useful they are at helping parents understand the financial risks in the games their children play. The headline result: how you prompt matters more than the bot you interact with. Talking points: What did the New Digital Advisors report find about AI chatbots as a tool for parents navigating financial risks in gaming and what are the chatbot personality differences parents should know about?Three years on from Coded Companions, how can we better support young people who find themselves in difficulty and what does the VoiceBox community think is the direction of travel for AI?How are gambling-like behaviours being normalised among young people, both within gaming and beyond?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt. Tech Shock is produced and edited by Tim Malster. www Twitter Facebook Instagram

    44 min

  5. Apr 14

    Spring Special Episode 3: Haroon Chowdry: ‘Levelling the Playing Field’

    This week in our special episodes examining the arguments for and against the social media ban, Vicki speaks to Haroon Chowdry, Chief Executive of the Centre for Young Lives. The Centre for Young Lives was set up by Baroness Anne Longfield, former Children’s Commissioner for England, and uses research, evidence, advocacy, public affairs and system change to improve outcomes for children and families.  Being in favour of the preventative measures proposed by the government consultation, Haroon discusses why he thinks restrictions are necessary as well as why and how to put the onus on tech companies.   Talking points: Why should we take a Public Health approach to social media’s impact on children?Is it just semantics to try and change the language we use in this debate - from ban to minimum age restriction?Are we proposing a blanket ban, or a partial ban? And what’s the difference?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt. Tech Shock is produced and edited by Tim Malster. www Twitter Facebook Instagram

    42 min

  6. Mar 25

    Spring Special Episode 2: Andy Burrows: ‘Towards a Safer Future’

    As we continue our special series of Tech Shock exploring arguments for and against the social media ban and the government consultation, this week we are joined by Andy Burrows, CEO of the Molly Rose Foundation.  The Foundation works at the intersection of online safety, mental health and suicide prevention, and holds a firm belief that technology can be a positive force for children. However, how can a safer online world be achieved? Are we learning from our mistakes with social media when it comes to AI regulation? Should we be optimistic about the future? Previously head of Child Safety Online Policy at the NSPCC, Andy brings years of experience engaging in child safety and online safety debates to the discussion. Talking points:  What are the problems of a social media ban for under-16s, its unintended consequences and would it provide a false sense of safety for parents?Why has the OSA disappointed, what role did Ofcom play and what should be done about small platforms? What impact will AI have on our world and the ability to keep children safe online?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt. Tech Shock is produced and edited by Tim Malster. www Twitter Facebook Instagram

    42 min

  7. Mar 11

    Spring Special Episode 1: Maeve Walsh: ‘Has the Online Safety Act Failed?’

    The beginning of March saw the government launch its consultation on whether to ban social media for under-16s, as well as calling on the public to share opinions and concerns on more nuanced interventions.  But how did we get here? With the Online Safety Act (OSA) being in force for two and a half years, why do parents and policymakers call for a blanket ban that risks being yet another false promise that could make young people less safe? Has the OSA failed or can it be part of the UK’s progress to a safer online world? In the first of a special group of Tech Shock episodes surrounding the Ban and Consultation, Vicki is joined by Maeve Walsh - Director of the OSA Network.  Talking points: Can we see that progress has been made through the OSA and what wins should we be shouting about?What are the big gaps in the Act and what other areas could and should it concern?Are we able to strengthen the OSA promptly and appropriately? What is the OSA Network's 10-point plan for strengthening the Act immediately?Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt. Tech Shock is produced and edited by Tim Malster. www Twitter Facebook Instagram

    36 min

  8. 12/17/2025

    7. How to find friends and alienate people: geolocation, gender, and unhelpful legislation

    December saw the launch of an international coalition to end violence against women and girls with additional support to tackle online harms. At the same time, debates around the banning of ‘nudification’ apps continue within the UK.  Developments like these represent a shared desire to affect change – and for the online world to be a safer place. But amid the Australian ban on social media for under-16s (now in effect) and Scottish Labour pushing for a complete phone ban in schools, we may need to pause and ask: are we going about reducing harm in the right way?   In the final episode of season 11, Vicki is joined by UCL professor of Sociology of Gender and Education, Jessica Ringrose to explore young people’s lived experiences and some possibly better ways to bring about change.   Talking points: From ‘sex subscriptions’ and ‘AI girlfriends’ to cyberflashing, how does harmful sexual content impact different groups of young people? Why are policies around restricting (or outright banning) tech not properly “thought through”?  Two years on since the Online Safety Act passed, are platforms still operating without a genuine duty of care – and what can we do in the meantime?  Tech Shock is a Parent Zone production. Follow Parent Zone on social media for all the latest on our work on helping families to thrive in the digital age. Presented by Vicki Shotbolt. Tech Shock is produced and edited by Tim Malster. www Twitter Facebook Instagram

    35 min
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About

Tech Shock: everything you ever wanted to know about tech and family life. Podcasting from Parent Zone, the media literacy experts, host Vicki Shotbolt explores the upsides and downsides of family life in the digital age. With a range of expert guests, she looks at online harms to children, from pornography to gambling, and at what should be done about them. Incurably optimistic, Vicki also celebrates the many benefits of tech for children and young people, as she considers how best to live in a world in which family life is now inescapably digital. Listen every Monday, subscribe, and please give us a five star review.

Information

  • Creator
    Parent Zone
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    138
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Tech Shock - from Parent Zone
  • Show Website
    Tech Shock - from Parent Zone

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