Our monthly update shines a spotlight on the great work done to inform and empower New Zealanders No images? Click here MARCH NEWSLETTER Kia ora koutou Collectively as we all adapt to a life in 2022 that is far from easy or straight-forward we want to acknowledge the hard mahi of essential workers and frontline staff who are keeping our country running during a global pandemic. Thank you. We also want to acknowledge the worsening situation in Ukraine as a result of Russia's invasion. These are incredibly stressful and upsetting times for us all. Our work here at Te Mana Whakaatu Classification Office continues in amongst illness and staff shortages as we all juggle the reality of working-from-home whilst classifying content that might not be suitable for the rest of our community to see. At the same time we have all seen, during the past month, the stark, physical and unwelcome real life harms that misinformation and disinformation can cause in our society. Aotearoa is not immune and we all have a part to play in keeping New Zealanders safe. We've been sharing social media tips on how to keep yourself safe in the digital space: tune in but remember to tune out and turn it off before you find yourself overloaded. We've also discussed how to talk with tamariki about scary events. Our newsletters generally talk about topics like sex, drugs, and the media content landscape. Our aim is to have difficult conversations and shine a light on ways to reduce harm for New Zealanders. If you know someone who should receive these updates, please share our newsletter or encourage them to subscribe here. Be sure to follow our socials too. #WatchTogether #Mātakitahi #TalkTogether #Kōrerotahi ![]() How the Christchurch terror attacks ‘sparked a wave of hatred’ in AustraliaA new study reveals a surge in Islamophobia in Australia in the second half of March 2019. But how about New Zealand? And what does it say about the online-offline interplay? March 2019 saw widespread expressions of support for Muslim communities in Australia and New Zealand from “officials, interfaith groups and the broader Australian society”. But, the report observes, there was at the same time a surge in “loud minorities spreading hate”. Toby Manhire looks at the online-offline link as the Muslim community in New Zealand continue to face Islamophobia, whether it be bomb threats at the site of the original attacks, anti-Muslim flyers distributed by a Baptist pastor, or the targeting of Muslim students by bullies at a Dunedin school. ![]() Talking with tamariki about scary eventsThe world can feel intense right now. From the TV, to our social feeds, we’re hit with a lot of information that can get us all feeling down - and it’s the same for tamariki. Social media platforms can automatically start playing distressing videos. You never know what might come up in your TikTok algorithm. Sometimes you don’t realise what is going on until something shocking pops up, catching you by surprise. It’s also easy to get dragged into staying up-to-date with what is going on even though it makes us feel not good. Last year Linde-Marie Amersfoort, child and family psychologist at Parenting Place, spoke with The NZ Herald about having conversations with your tamariki when scary events happen. Linde-Marie shared some great ideas on why and how to have good, safe and open kōrero. Caitlin outlines top tips from on how to talk with tamariki about things going on in the world Are your kids watching Euphoria? What to knowIt resonates with young people and it is fast becoming (arguably already is) a cultural phenomenon. So while the characters are obviously not realistic a lot of the content may really resonate in some way, even if it is at the extreme end. Rangatahi can relate to those lingering emotions that follow the characters throughout the episodes. While the storylines are unbelievable, young people can see the struggles that the characters are having with their parents, friends, romantic partners… and see how the characters are responding. Remember how big and all-consuming everything felt when it happened to you as a young person? Take an open conversation approach. Don’t seek to judge or get emotional when broaching the subject of whether they’ve watched it. Be the person they want to talk to if they’re disturbed by anything they’re watching. Read Rebecca's blog about what to expect with the show and how to talk about it Pam and Tommy - Pammy?Quite literally sex, drugs and rock n' roll. Pam and Tommy is a biographical drama miniseries re-counting the marriage between actress Pamela and Tommy during the period their sex tape was made public. Consent is clearly something that Pamela or Tommy did not have after their sex tape was stolen and then published worldwide. Watching Pam and Tommy could be a good opportunity to engage with issues around pornography and consent, and to think critically about impact of the story. How would the saga play out today? ![]() Great mahi results in six children rescued, 43 arrestsWe want to acknowledge the significant work of Te Tari Taiwhenua Department of Internal Affairs' (DIA) digital child exploitation team who were involved in uncovering a global paedophile ring, resulting in 146 children around the world being saved from potential harm. Known as Operation H, the investigation is the largest of its kind. It uncovered 90,000 account holders sharing more than 1000 images and videos of children being sexually abused. So far, 43 New Zealanders have been arrested and charged in connection with the investigation. Some of those cases are still progressing through the courts. ![]() Because our work involves a broad knowledge of the vast online landscape, we consume a lot of media in the office. Here are just a few of the things we’ve found relevant and informative over the past month. NZ anti-vaxxers fall for ‘tsunami’ of Russian disinformation (Newsroom) Parliament grounds have been cleared but deep-seated issues remain (Stuff.co.nz) Children don't invent racism, they learn it (Anjum Rahman for The Spinoff) How to identify what you enjoy (The Atlantic podcast)
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