Netflix’s hit show ‘Adolescence’ has fired up conversations about kids’ online safety, and now an Auckland event wants to give parents a confronting look at just how harmful the content children are exposed to can be.
‘The Worst Children’s Library’ has been launched by online safety filter SafeSurfer along with Samsung, and it's a place where kids are banned.
Instead of the usual kid-friendly books lining the shelves at Auckland Normal Intermediate School, they'll be filled with the kind of disturbing content young people are actually encountering online almost daily.
Stocked with over 1,000 books and covers and organised in a ‘Dewey Decimal System of Harm’, the collection tackles topics like toxic masculinity, hate speech, self-harm, and animal cruelty.
Some titles are too distressing to share publicly - that’s a concern in itself - but examples include ‘100 Ways To Self-Harm’, ‘Cruel Ways To Kill Animals’, and ‘1,2,3, Count Calories With Me’.
It's a free ticketed event happening on Saturday, April 5, at Auckland Normal Intermediate School. But, of course, given the sensitive nature of the content, entry is strictly R18.
Kieran Gleeson, Deputy Principal of Auckland Normal Intermediate School, says it’s extremely difficult to paint an accurate picture of just how widespread and accessible harmful content is purely through conversations with school parents.
"We understand that keeping up with a child’s internet use - especially on social media - can feel overwhelming for parents. Many worry about what their children are seeing online but may not always know how to monitor or guide them effectively,” Gleeson says.
“While schools can work hard to educate students about online safety, we can’t oversee their social media use beyond the classroom,” he added.
Parents have more control than they may realise, and by taking proactive steps, they can create safer online experiences for their children.
Last week, Rob Cope from Our Kids Online NZ had a chat to The Breeze about why he thinks ‘Adolescence’ has hit the mark on sparking a world wide conversation about the dark side of world wide web.
“Most parents will watch this and go, ‘Oh my kid wouldn’t stab anyone,’ and they’re right,” he explained.
But who is your kid talking to online? Are they being groomed by predators? Are they bullying themselves or being bullied themselves? Are they watching the most hardcore graphic violence or gore or torture, [sexual assault] and porn?
“I think that’s what I loved about the show,” he added. “These were good parents, and they just dropped the ball.”
He also shared tips with us about how we can better monitor our kids’ online use.
On ‘The Worst Children’s Library’, Rob says: “This library is essentially a parent’s warning label for the world wide web, showcasing the eye-opening reality of how detrimental the online world is in real life.”
The event also comes as ‘Adolescence’ is set to be made available for free to all high school students in the UK, a decision backed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
While there’s been hot debate on whether New Zealand schools should follow suit, this library might just be the push that sways parents toward a ‘yes’.
