S04:E07

Children Growing Up Online

Leeds, UK

Sep 9, 2026

• 10min 28s

Episode description

For many of us, the internet was something we discovered.

We remember dial-up connections, desktop computers and perhaps our first mobile phone. Going online was something we deliberately chose to do.

But what happens when you don’t remember a world before the internet existed?

For today’s children, technology isn’t necessarily something they “go online” to use.

It’s simply part of everyday life.

They grow up surrounded by smartphones, tablets, social media, streaming, artificial intelligence, algorithms and connected devices.

And that changes the conversation.

In recent episodes of Quietly Secure, we’ve explored AI, deepfakes, algorithms, online reputation and the information we encounter every day.

Now we turn our attention to the next generation.

What does it mean to grow up in a world where digital technology has always been there?

How does it affect the way children learn, communicate, socialise and understand the world around them?

And perhaps most importantly…

How do we help them navigate a digital world that even the adults around them are still learning to understand?

Because for children today, the internet isn’t somewhere they go.

It’s simply part of life.

#QuietlySecure #CyberSecurity #DigitalParenting #OnlineSafety #ChildrenOnline #Technology #CyberAwareness

0:00Season 4 - Episode 7 - Children Growing Up Online

0:52A Different Childhood

1:41The Permanent Childhood

2:22Privacy Is Difficult To Understand

3:10The World Is Always Watching

3:53Social Media Changes The Audience

4:35Comparison

5:14The Good Side

5:59AI Changes Things Again

6:37What Should Parents Do?

7:20The Important Conversation

7:55Growing Up Digital

8:37Close and Teaser for Next Episode