CMA has launched a new parent resource Helping 0 to 3 year olds thrive in a digital world in support of the SA Government funded program Words Grow Mindslaunched on 24 October and developed by the 0-3 Taskforce, led by Raising Literacy Australia. CMA’s members played an active role in this taskforce.
The campaign talks to parents, carers and early years service providers with a memorable message and call to action. It aims to communicate broadly the importance of early childhood development in the first three years, and what we can do to help our youngest children thrive.
ACMA finds Seven and Nine breached gambling ads code
An ACMA investigation found that throughout July and August 2021, Seven aired 49 betting promotions during Olympic coverage on its Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide streaming service. Seven was also found to have made gambling advertisements available on its live stream of the Olympics. The ACMA report was released 21 October.
A separate investigation found that Nine broadcast a gambling advertisement at 8.21pm during the half-time break of the NRL grand final on 3 October 2021.
Broadcasters are restricted from showing gambling advertising during their coverage of live sporting events shown between 5.00am and 8.30pm.
House of Reps inquiry into gambling
The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs has recently announced a parliamentary inquiry into online gambling, including reviewing the effectiveness of current gambling advertising restrictions on limiting children’s exposure to gambling products and services. Submissions are due by 11 November.
A link between video gaming and gambling?
The Longitudinal Study of Children in Australia has produced a report What is the link between video gaming and gambling? Snapshot series - issue 7. Simulated gambling products have the potential to normalise and encourage monetary gambling, especially among children and young people. The report found that young people who played simulated gambling games during adolescence (aged 16-17) had a 40 percentage points higher probability of spending real money on gambling as young adults (aged 18-19).
Food Policy Index report released
Recommendations released on 21 October by a group of 84 Australian health experts, in their Food Policy Index report, call on the federal government to adopt a national co-ordinated approach to restrict exposure of children to unhealthy food and beverage promotion across multiple settings, including sport and recreation settings and those controlled or managed by Australian governments.
Independent MP Dr Sophie Scamps MP says her private member’s Bill proposes to do just that by regulating junk food advertising on TV, radio, social media, and other online environments.
Three ways app developers keep kids glued to screens
Sumudu Mallawaarachi and Sharon Horwood of Deakin University discuss persuasive design. In an article in The Conversation, they say “If persuasive design can influence the screen-use behaviours of adults – who have supposedly developed regulatory skills and self-control – then toddlers and kids don’t stand a chance. This aspect of the screen-time debate is rarely scrutinised with the seriousness it deserves”.
ACCC, TikTok and definitions of social media
Mumbrella reports that in its submission to the next phase of the ACCC’s Digital Media Platforms review, TikTok says “TikTok wishes to continue presenting new and disruptive competition to incumbent platforms. Many of these platforms have market power across broad app ecosystems, which they can leverage into new services in a way challenger firms (such as TikTok) cannot.” Additionally, TikTok pulled itself from being included as a “social media service providers” as defined by ACCC.
A tricky decision on a gambling-like app
The Ad Standards Community Panel recently dismissed a complaint about an ad for the Lightning Link Casino app on Snapchat. The ad, produced by a social media influencer features an image of a woman playing with a toy poker machine. The words “POV: Me visiting Grandma” are superimposed over the video. She looks sad and hits the table as she loses. The advertised game is then seen being loaded onto a tablet. It shows a pop up with a welcome bonus. The woman appears very happy as she plays the game. The screen shows the text “Huge Win! 6,061,282”. A child's voice-over says, “My Grandma is so sad because she just hates losing. So I downloaded Lightning Link Casino on her tablet. With a crazy welcome bonus of ten million coins now she can't stop winning.”
Ad Standards Panel upholds complaint about lingerie ad
The Panel considered that “the women are depicted in a strongly sexualised manner, and there is a focus on the lingerie product and subsequently close-ups of the women’s bodies… considered that the imagery is overtly sexual…. The Panel considered that such imagery may be appropriate during later time-slots, however its broadcast during the late afternoon and early evening when children are likely to be watching television with their family is not appropriate.
Todd Sampson’s TV series Mirror Mirror: Love & Hate
In this two part documentary on Ten, the advertising guru examines safety on the internet. Mumbrella reports that Sampson, an advertising guru, says “There are two different worlds going on. There’s a whole generation of kids, my daughter’s included, that live online. That’s everything for them. And then there’s us, another generation that… were before the internet, or before mobile internet, and we know the world without it. My kids don’t. And my biggest worry, is that it’s one of the driving forces of the series, are we wasting a generation of kids?”
Understanding the true effect of screen time on recovery from concussion
This commentary by Theodore Macnow, Tess Curran and Rebekah Mannix on an earlier article concludes that clinicians have been given new guidance regarding the relative importance of early ST recommendations after concussion.
Early postinjury screen time and concussion recovery
Molly Cairncross and others advise that as the association of early screen time with postconcussion symptoms is not linear, recommending moderation in screen time may be the best approach to clinical management.
Child and caregiver mental health during 12 months of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia: findings from National Repeated Cross-Sectional Surveys
Researchers Anna Price, Mary-Anne Measey, Monsurul Hoq, Anthea Rhodes and Sharon Goldfeld found that negative mental health experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic are real and concerning and that addressing poor mental health must be central to ongoing pandemic recovery efforts for families and children.
Parenting pre-teens: a pivotal time for children and parents
A summary of work by Catherine Wade, Ann Seward, Alex Almendingen and Elly Robinson which looked at data from the Parenting Today in Victoria survey. They say that the pre-teen years represent an opportunity for parents to communicate expectations around personal safety and to establish patterns of behaviour while they still have some level of influence. It is also a potentially important time for governments and non-government service providers to support parents to learn and use new skills to prepare their children – and themselves – for the challenges ahead.
Webinars:Australian Research Council, Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child
A series of webinars throughout late October explore the changing role of ‘digital’ in Australian children’s lives and take a look at the responsibilities of digital producers, as well as the children themselves and their adults, in creating and consuming digital experiences which enhance child development.
CMA’s Halloween collection has reviews to help you find what might be age-appropriate and fun for your family.
Drifting Home(M) is an English dubbed, coming-of-age, anime movie, containing lots of over the top melodrama and an unusual plot. The main messages are that eventually you have to let go of the past in order to embrace the future; that everything changes; and that even through heartache and struggle, the most powerful friendships will find a way to survive.
The Curious Case of Dolphin Bay (G) is an adventure mystery movie, mainly aimed at older children and tweens. It is a family movie and while there is little violence, there are a few scary scenes. The main messages from this movie are to face up to your fears and to try and see things from another perspective.
Pinocchio (2022)(PG) is a live-action animated musical from Disney with some dark scenes. The main messages from this movie are that it is not about what you look like on the outside but rather who you are in your heart that defines you; that you should be careful who you trust; that lies can really change people; and that one of the most powerful tools to help you through life is having a conscience and choosing to do what is right rather than what is easy or just feels good.
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