00:00My lock screen is a picture of my kids.
00:05What's yours?
00:11These children and thousands more
00:15meant the world to their families.
00:19The beautiful faces you see before you,
00:22their smiles, their dreams, all lost.
00:28All too soon, and all because of social media.
00:34It's why we launched the Parents Network,
00:37a global community that provides crucial support
00:40to parents whose children have suffered
00:42from the harmful effects of social media.
00:47And it is because of them
00:50that we at the R12 Foundation are committed to this issue.
00:53Some say kids will be kids, and, well, that may well be true.
00:56Kids may get into trouble.
00:58I know a thing or two about that.
01:03But our kids are being targeted.
01:07The harmful effects of social media are made by design.
01:11While we embolden both youth and parents,
01:14we must also hold digital platforms accountable.
01:17Surely, surely, none of us want to live in a world
01:21where there is no consequence or accountability.
01:24Parenting doesn't end at birth of a child,
01:28neither does founding a company.
01:31Whether parent or CEO,
01:33we have a duty and a responsibility
01:35to see our creations through.
01:37So why, why do the leaders
01:39of these insanely powerful social media companies
01:42still refuse to change?
01:44Why are we holding them to the lowest ethical standards?
01:48In any other circumstance,
01:50a business would commit all resources to fixing the bug.
01:54Instead of providing parents with more tips and tricks
01:57for navigating hostile environments,
01:59shareholders need to demand change.
02:02If corporations unabashedly lack responsibility,
02:06it doesn't mean we should do the same.
02:09Their platforms may be under our fingertips,
02:13but we have the fate of the future,
02:15their future, in our hands.
02:18These platforms are designed to create addiction.
02:22Young people are kept there
02:24by mindless, endless, numbing scrolling,
02:28being force-fed content
02:30that no child should ever be exposed to.
02:33This, it's not free will.
02:36Our platform provides opportunity
02:38for parents to turn their pain into purpose,
02:42ultimately changing the very system
02:45that stole their child.
02:47We need to create programs that teach digital literacy,
02:50emotional intelligence, and critical thinking.
02:53We need to equip our youth with the skills they need
02:56to identify and combat online threats.
03:00We need a better digital future,
03:04one that we all deserve.
03:07We were promised a human experience.
03:10Instead, we've been a human experiment.
03:17For more information, visit www.cdc.gov.au
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