This podcast is brought to you by the B416 team.

Content Warning: This episode discusses topics including suicide, mental health, eating disorders, and self-harm. If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out for help — you are not alone.

In this episode, we take a closer look at what it’s like growing up in New Zealand’s Online Wild West.

Compared to children in countries like the UK, Australia, or Canada, Kiwi kids face far fewer protections online. This leaves them exposed to a range of serious risks, from grooming and cyberbullying to explicit content and addictive platform design, often without any clear safety net.
Jo Robertson, sexual harm prevention expert, and Holly Brooker, policy advocate from Make Sense, join the discussion to share their frontline experiences and insights. They explain why New Zealand’s current systems are struggling to keep up with the rapidly evolving digital world and how this gap puts tamariki at high risk.

The conversation covers the scale of online harm in Aotearoa, the ways tech companies fail to safeguard young users, and what meaningful changes are needed, from stronger policies and regulations to practical steps families and communities can take.

This is an important, eye-opening conversation about the very real risks of social media, and the changes we can all make to support one young mind at a time.

New Zealand Helplines:
Lifeline: Call 0800 543 354 or text 4357 (HELP) (available 24/7)
Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7)
Youth services: (06) 3555 906
What’s Up: Call 0800 942 8787 (11am to 11pm) or webchat (11am to 10.30pm)
Depression helpline: Call 0800 111 757 or text 4202 (available 24/7)
Aoake te Rā – Free, brief therapeutic support service for those bereaved by suicide. Call 0800 000 053.
Helpline: Need to talk? Call or text 1737
The Lowdown: Free text 5626 or visit thelowdown.co.nz
EDANZ (Eating Disorders Association NZ): Visit ed.org.nz for resources and support
If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111

For more information about Make Sense click here

Follow us @b416.nz or find out more at b416.co.nz

This podcast is brought to you by the&nbsp;B416 team.
Content Warning: This episode discusses topics including suicide, mental health, eating disorders, and self-harm. If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out for help &mdash; you are not alone.
In this episode, we take a closer look at what it&rsquo;s like growing up in New Zealand&rsquo;s Online Wild West.
Compared to children in countries like the UK, Australia, or Canada, Kiwi kids face far fewer protections online. This leaves them exposed to a range of serious risks, from grooming and cyberbullying to explicit content and addictive platform design, often without any clear safety net. <a href="https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/RTmUCp8ArwcZnx07IDhyCGrtCE?domain=jorobertson.org/" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="1">Jo Robertson</a>, sexual harm prevention expert, and&nbsp;<a href="https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/g-ldCq7BwRtv87yViQi3CEc6OA?domain=instagram.com" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="2">Holly Brooker</a>, policy advocate from&nbsp;<a href="https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/2srHCr8DyZcO8DRWcyspC4xwkQ?domain=makessense.org.nz/" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="3">Make Sense</a>, join the discussion to share their frontline experiences and insights. They explain why New Zealand&rsquo;s current systems are struggling to keep up with the rapidly evolving digital world and how this gap puts tamariki at high risk.
The conversation covers the scale of online harm in Aotearoa, the ways tech companies fail to safeguard young users, and what meaningful changes are needed, from stronger policies and regulations to practical steps families and communities can take.
This is an important, eye-opening conversation about the very real risks of social media, and the changes we can all make to support one young mind at a time.
New Zealand Helplines:
<ul>
<li>Lifeline: Call 0800 543 354 or text 4357 (HELP) (available 24/7)</li>
<li>Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7)</li>
<li>Youth services: (06) 3555 906</li>
<li>What&rsquo;s Up: Call 0800 942 8787 (11am to 11pm) or webchat (11am to 10.30pm)</li>
<li>Depression helpline: Call 0800 111 757 or text 4202 (available 24/7)</li>
<li>Aoake te Rā &ndash; Free, brief therapeutic support service for those bereaved by suicide. Call 0800 000 053.</li>
<li>Helpline: Need to talk? Call or text 1737</li>
<li>The Lowdown: Free text 5626 or visit&nbsp;<a href="https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/a8_iCwVLM9unGRE2h8uXCJA5k0?domain=thelowdown.co.nz" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="4">thelowdown.co.nz</a></li>
<li>EDANZ (Eating Disorders Association NZ): Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/Q2dZCyoNQlS3ryPpIyFZCxle4W?domain=ed.org.nz" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="5">ed.org.nz</a>&nbsp;for resources and support</li>
<li>If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111</li>
</ul>
For more information about&nbsp;Make Sense click&nbsp;<a href="https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/2srHCr8DyZcO8DRWcyspC4xwkQ?domain=makessense.org.nz/" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="6">here</a>
Follow us <a href="https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/TSOlCzvOVPczMmY7IVHOC9L38l?domain=instagram.com" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="7">@b416.nz</a>&nbsp;or find out more at&nbsp;<a href="https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/Vct9CBNZloFN7lXyHPS9C2QaQz?domain=b416.co.nz" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="8">b416.co.nz</a>

Our young people live in an increasingly digital world. While technology can improve our lives in many ways, we ask: do the benefits of social media for young people outweigh the harms? In this podcast, we explore why it is so hard for young people to put their phones down, and the mental health challenges rising alongside their online lives.

Through lived-experience, expert insights, and honest conversations, we aim to understand what is happening for our tamariki online and what we can do to protect their precious mind during those formative, developmental years.

This podcast is about listening, learning, and not shying away from the hard truths. Understanding what is really happening for young people online is the first step to keeping them safe.

Hosted by Matilda Green, content creator, presenter and mother of three, and Dr Maneesh Deva, paediatrician and health innovator working on the front lines of our hospitals and ICUs, One Young Mind brings together a compelling mix of voices and perspectives to explore the challenges, pressures and realities young people face on social media.

One Young Mind is brought to you by the team behind B416, with support from 2degrees and their Fairer Phones programme, and iHeartRadio.

Follow us @b416.nz or find out more at b416.co.nz

Our young people live in an increasingly digital world. While technology can improve our lives in many ways, we ask: do the benefits of social media for young people outweigh the harms? In this podcast, we explore why it is so hard for young people to put their phones down, and the mental health challenges rising alongside their online lives.
Through lived-experience, expert insights, and honest conversations, we aim to understand what is happening for our tamariki online and what we can do to protect their precious mind during those formative, developmental years.
This podcast is about listening, learning, and not shying away from the hard truths. Understanding what is really happening for young people online is the first step to keeping them safe.
Hosted by Matilda Green, content creator, presenter and mother of three, and Dr Maneesh Deva, paediatrician and health innovator working on the front lines of our hospitals and ICUs, One Young Mind brings together a compelling mix of voices and perspectives to explore the challenges, pressures and realities young people face on social media.
One Young Mind is brought to you by the team behind B416, with support from 2degrees and their Fairer Phones programme, and iHeartRadio.
Follow us <a href="https://www.instagram.com/b416.nz/?hl=en">@b416.nz</a> or find out more at <a href="https://b416.co.nz/">b416.co.nz</a>