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Tech Shock - from Parent Zone
by Parent Zone
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.
Episodes
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Episode 3: Dr Max Shotbolt: Quantum computing, the next big conversation
In the third episode of Tech Shock’s 13th season, Vicki is joined by Dr Max Shotbolt, a Post Doctoral Researcher at the University of Miami whose research into cancer treatments using magnetic nanoparticles led him, by way of some well-placed eavesdropping, into the world of quantum computing. AI...
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Episode 2: Jonathan Baggaley: The Wind of the Song: Treachery of AI
In the second episode of Tech Shock's 13th season, Vicki is joined by returning guest Jonathan Baggaley. CEO of the PSHE Association, Jonathan joins wearing his Fully Human hat: the association's research and development arm. Over the last decade Fully Human has explored how best to support young...
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Episode 1: The Rapping Science Teacher: Science, Social Media and the Ban
In the first episode of Tech Shock's 13th season, Vicki is joined by Matt Green, The Rapping Science Teacher. A former teacher, Matt has built a following of millions by making science accessible and exciting to young people through music and social media. Matt's work is a real-world example of...
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5: Dr Garth Graham: Bringing Education to the World at Scale
In episode 5, Vicki is joined by Dr Garth Graham, Director and Global Head of Healthcare and Public Health at Google and YouTube. A clinician, researcher and parent of four, Dr Graham brings a rare combination of perspectives to the conversation. This episode moves from policy to the practical…
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4: Lisa Felton and Jeffrey DeMarco: A Partnership for Thriving
In the fourth episode of Tech Shock's 12th season, Vicki is joined by two guests: Jeffrey DeMarco, Senior Policy Advisor at Save the Children, and Lisa Felton, Managing Director, Vodafone Foundation. Their organisation’s partnership was born from a shared recognition that children were highly...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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…
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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...
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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...
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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…
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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...
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6. Being ‘literate’ in the age of AI
Amidst a paradigm shift in technology, it looks to be the case that a failure to understand (and use) AI is a failure to prepare for a rapidly approaching future. But plenty of questions remain. How best to support literacies related to AI? Where exactly should AI sit within a revised curriculum?...
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5. Deepfakes, disinformation, and a trundle towards ‘reality apathy’?
AI technologies are becoming more and more embedded in daily life – in ways that go well beyond smart speakers or nifty thermometers. But this embedding raises lots of questions. Some people have little faith in Big Tech (or the countries trying to regulate it) to get it right. Providing it…
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4. Experience AI
Understanding AI has never been more critical. It’s part of most conversations around emerging tech. It raises endless questions around safety, creativity, copyright and intellectual property. The UK government, too, now has a national focus on upskilling young people for the “AI-powered jobs of...
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3. RSE in the era of nudification apps and AI romance
The subject ‘RSE’ (Relationships and Sex Education) was introduced to educate pupils about sexual health as well as their relationships and intimacies with others. Is it meeting the challenge or is there a nervousness in delivery, and are we finding ways to create safe spaces that allow for open...
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2. A new gambling levy, and the dark side of the industry
Contrary to what many of us would like to believe, gambling is not an exclusively over 18 activity – in fact it’s far from it. Popular sports and surrounding media burst at the seams with gambling ads, online gaming draws many monetisation techniques from the gambling industry, and enormously...
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1. "A range of questionable trends and industry practices” – gaming in 2025
As the Tech Shock podcast returns for its 11th season, Vicki is joined by Sara Grimes, McGill University professor and expert in child rights and ethical game design, to explore the views of young gamers – and the current industry at large. 2025 research from Ofcom shows that 97% of 8-17…
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10. Everyday Digital – a media literacy programme that works
Media literacy. It’s at the core of a three-year strategy from Ofcom, featured in DSIT’s ‘Digital Inclusion Action Plan’ and looks set to make more than just a fleeting appearance in the reviewed curriculum this autumn. It’s also one means of combating mis- and disinformation as well as online...
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9. EdTech: “Big Tech in a school uniform”?
After a shift to online learning during COVID-19, EdTech – everything from digital whiteboards and eBooks to Google Classroom and virtual reality equipment – is an industry that’s gone from strength to strength in terms of size, scope and profitability. But as the UK is beginning to see a…
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8. Violence against women and girls: what’s needed for change?
Easily accessed tech like generative AI can facilitate the nudification of another's images, platforms’ hate speech policies around gender are suddenly being watered-down, and misogynistic content remains amplified (and deeply profitable) for those that peddle it. The need to respond to online...
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7. Is tech destroying our attention spans?
In the ‘information age’ it’s easy to find any number of resources and strong opinions. This makes it more crucial than ever that we're able to filter out the noise and access evidence and information that's of a high standard and digestible. As heated debates around tech continue – including its...
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6. Family vlogging, young people’s perspectives and the response ‘across the pond’
Awareness of emerging harms gradually develops and debates around smartphone bans and social media restrictions for children are ongoing. At the same time, the series 'Adolescence' has been turning these sorts of conversations national. With all this in mind, are we doing enough to understand the...
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5. What's next for the Online Safety Act?
With Ofcom's duties and guidance around illegal harms and content, services’ transparency, the safety of women and girls, as well as the protection of children all being published in 2025, it’s undoubtedly an important year for the implementation of the Online Safety Act. But with geopolitics...
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4. Schools and emerging tech: a new era of sexual harassment and abuse?
As both the sophistication and accessibility of AI is on the up, the ease in which someone can create and share realistic deepfakes involving ‘non-consensual intimate images’ increases also. Worryingly, schools and education settings aren't exempt from this trend. To add to this, UCL’s Institute…
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3. Understanding ‘good enough’ parenting and toddlers' tech use
Research shows that consistent, authoritative at-home parenting impacts children’s learning and educational outcomes. At times though, a prevailing culture within education can mean parents receive insufficient support, and are even unfairly labelled and criticised. Similarly, the false narrative...
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2. Early years digital media literacy: new report highlights significant gaps
Children grow up surrounded by technology – engaging with it from birth. But how do we help parents with information, evidence-based advice and support so that those early interactions can lay the foundations for positive engagement as children grow? Supported by the Nuffield Foundation, the…
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1. Time for a change? Talking Child Financial Harms with Adam Groves
The Tech Shock podcast hits double digits as it returns for its 10th season. As always, Vicki will be joined this season by a whole host of expert guests to talk all things tech, as well as taking a deep dive into new research by Parent Zone. Expect fascinating discussions around AI-generated...
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7. Season round-up with VoiceBox’s Natalie Foos
VoiceBox is an organisation that specialises in youth content and consultation – showcasing the talent of young creators globally. They also ensure that the youth perspective is heard through their independent research and work with tech firms, government bodies and other decision-makers. After...
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6. Digital resilience, wellbeing and the online world
Digital resilience involves understanding possible risks online, knowing where to get help and having the support to recover when things go wrong, and learning from experiences. But some emerging harms can begin to shift online safety discussions away from digital resilience and more towards…
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5. AI’s role in mental health support?
AI chatbots are becoming increasingly sophisticated in how they interact with users. The insights afforded by AI tools can also be used to streamline workflows and improve efficiency across a range of organisations and their services. With the NHS reporting that one in five children and young...
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4. From child rights to regulation: are we in a good place?
As the online world continues to develop, possible risks and harms do too. Business models can encourage the promotion of harmful content via algorithms, and children’s data is too often viewed as a commodity. Often, legislation is left scrambling to keep up with tech – and even when it’s...
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3. Digital parenting and monitoring technology
The use of technology to assist with parenting is something that’s becoming a social norm. It's easy to understand why: parents want to know what their children are doing online, where they are when they're out of sight and what digital content they're being exposed to. Knowing your child is safe...
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2. Mark Weinstein, privacy, anonymity and surveillance capitalism
Surveillance capitalism – the gathering, analysis and use of personal information to influence people and sell things – arguably requires losses in (or infringements on) privacy to work best. At the same time, anonymity online can bring its own risks: it may facilitate trolling as well as the...
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1. The Annual Cyber Survey with Adrienne Katz
Tech Shock returns for its 9th season and we invite a range of expert guests to explore the tech landscape post-Online Safety Act – as well as emerging trends and possible harms. Our first guest this season is director of Youthworks Adrienne Katz. She joins Vicki to unpack the findings from...
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Smartphone bans: the professional perspective
Just two weeks ago a report from The Education Select Committee recommended that, post-election, the new government consider additional measures around screen time – and smartphone use – for children. Having previously heard from both parents and young people on the topic of a smartphone ban for...
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Smartphone bans: what are young people saying?
Part two of this Tech Shock special discusses the possibility – and possible impact – of a smartphone ban for under-16s. Having previously heard from parents, this week Vicki is joined by Anna Lindsay from youth-content platform VoiceBox to get a measure of what young people themselves think…
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9. Bonus episode - The minimal digital living standard
A minimal digital living standard is a benchmark. It refers to both a level of digital skills and access to tech that can appropriately meet an individual’s basic needs – not just ‘nice-to-haves’. It involves things like communication and connection with others, and the ability to engage with...
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Smartphone bans for under-16s: the parent perspective
Just months after the DfE announced guidance on mobile phone use in schools, the possibility of a smartphone ban for under-16s is being actively discussed. Support for bans like these can, at least initially, be very strong – but also nuanced. In a slight change of format for Tech Shock, Vicki is...
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7. Season roundup, with VoiceBox
Natalie Foos, director of the youth content platform VoiceBox joins Vicki to provide some young people’s perspectives on the hot (or tricky) topics from Tech Shock's season 8. Talking points: In a year where half the world could be at the polls, how equipped are young people to avoid...
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6. The secrets of search
This week Vicki talks to Emma Higham, product management lead on Google's Search Child's Safety Portfolio about some of the exciting new tools they've been working on. Talking points Every family is different so how do tech companies create safety tools that work for everyone? What is LEO and why...
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5. Young people and the emerging gender divide
From incels to Andrew Tate, young people are increasingly exposed to debates around gender when online. This week, Vicki is joined by Rosie Campbell, professor of politics and director of the Global Institute for Women's Leadership at King's College London to discuss the topic of gender in the...
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4. The debate surrounding screen time, with Pete Etchells
This week Vicki is joined by Pete Etchells, professor of Psychology and Science Communication at Bath Spa University to discuss the topic of screen time and some of the debate that surrounds it. Talking points: What is ‘screen time’, and how hard is it to accurately measure? Why do we tend to…
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3. The ‘wicked problem’ of child financial harms
Our 2023 research found that young people aged 13-18 spend over £50m online each week. But this financial autonomy could mean increased exposure to harms like scams, gambling, influencer marketing, and criminal exploitation. This week Vicki is joined by Maya Daver-Massion and Zixuan Fu, part of…
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2. Katie Davis
Vicki talks to Dr. Katie Davis , Associate Professor at the University of Washington about what happens when technology intersects with child development and why good enough parenting really is good enough. How are online platforms designed and what sort of design leads to certain behaviours?…
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1. Has media literacy’s time finally come?
In 2024, the year of many elections, governments across the world are bracing themselves for an onslaught of disinformation. Vicki and Geraldine talk to Professor Julian McDougall of Bournemouth University about whether media literacy is finally poised to break free of its Cinderella status....
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7. Sharenting
Vicki and Geraldine talk to sharenting expert Claire Bessant about the pros and cons of posting about your children online. Talking points: Are parental influencers who post about their children doing anything different from families down the centuries whose children have worked on the family…
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6. A problem hiding in plain sight?
Vicki and Geraldine discuss Parent Zone’s latest research into financial harms to children online. Is this a category of harms that we’ve simply overlooked? And if so, why? We tend to think children aren’t doing much financially online, but how true is this When children get scammed online, why…
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5. The respectable face of the porn industry?
Vicki and Geraldine talk to clinical psychologist Elly Hanson about OnlyFans, which has done such a good marketing job that it's been popping up at child protection conferences. But should it be there? What do we really know about the streaming site that combines porn and prostitution? Talking...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
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.
HOSTED BY
Parent Zone
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How many episodes does Tech Shock - from Parent Zone have?
Tech Shock - from Parent Zone currently has 142 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Tech Shock - from Parent Zone 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...
How often does Tech Shock - from Parent Zone release new episodes?
Tech Shock - from Parent Zone publishes regularly with 142 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
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Tech Shock - from Parent Zone is created and hosted by Parent Zone.
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