Sara Grimes: Tech Restrictions for Children are More Dangerous for Their Safety!

Professor Sara M. Grimes is a prominent scholar and world-leading expert in children’s digital media culture, rights, and play.Since August 2024, she has served as a Full Professor at McGill University, where she holds the Wolfe Chair in Scientific and Technological Literacy.Her research examines the intersection of technology, commercialisation, and childhood, with a particular focus on digital games and virtual worlds.Join our free newsletter to get notified for future live sessions: ⁠https://newsletter.ceoretort.com⁠Timestamps:(00:00:00) – Preview(00:02:47) – 2025 Review in terms of children's rights online since Trump's election and his influence on Big Tech.(00:14:25) – How does America's lax behaviour toward regulating big tech impact Canada as the next-door neighbour with deep dependency?(00:20:06) – The big problem with Australia's recently introduced social media ban for under 16s. Why Tim and Sara fundamentally disagree with this approach.(00:26:12) – How certain governments benefit from preventing young generations from accessing social media – ie, their only source of news and geopolitical events!(00:30:34) – The impact of Silicon Valley's "move fast and break things" philosophy on children's online safety – a philosophy shared by Epstein!(00:35:30) – The long-term impact of banning children from accessing online platforms on their education and the normalisation of dangerous trends, such as the manosphere.(00:44:20) – Should social media platforms finally be treated and regulated as media outlets and content publishers?(00:49:57) – Early signs of whether the Australian ban is effective, with emerging contradictory arguments.(00:58:18) – Sara's direct response to critics who support tech restrictions for children and social media bans.(01:04:16) – The surprising attitude of young people toward online privacy(01:15:16) – How banning children further exposes their private data to big tech.(01:20:02) – What has Sara learnt from her work with the United Nations about other countries' concerns about Trump's Silicon Valley and children's online safety?Episode Notes & Citations:⁠⁠https://ceoretort.com/podcast/guest/2026/02/19/sara-grimes-tech-restrictions-for-children-are-more-dangerous-for-their-safety/Support our independence by becoming a member:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://CEORetort.com/Support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out The Retort news outlet:⁠https://RetortMedia.com⁠Check out our new YouTube channel, The CEO Retort Extra: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/@ceoretortextra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to The CEO Retort:YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@CEORetort⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://newsletter.ceoretort.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ceo-retort/id1767132889⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5ytJdrSK0yGL2OZfTitnp8⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect with Tim El-Sheikh:LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/timelsheikh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠