Article by Safe on Social - Kirra Pendergast  (https://www.safeonsocial.com/blog) 

If you've been watching Netflix’s Adolescence and are trying to grasp the weight of the term "incel," you’re not alone. The word is often tied to news stories of violence and extremism, but there’s a much bigger conversation we need to have. One that isn’t driven by fear but by reality. Watching it, I felt sick. Not just because of what unfolded on screen but because I was so triggered as I have seen and experienced these behaviours firsthand from children. Children under 13, some as young as 10. 

Late last year, I recorded myself sobbing after witnessing this exact behaviour. A raw, unfiltered heartbreak caught on film and shared online over what’s happening to this generation. It went viral because I wasn’t alone. Thousands of people contacted me, primarily teachers, who see the same thing and feel the same gut-wrenching fear for our kid's future. Yet... parents are buying devices to ensure kids don't feel socially isolated, or pretending this isn’t an emergency. It’s raw, it’s real, and it’s happening right now. The way kids talk, how they see relationships, the rage bubbling under the surface, the fear, and the hopelessness are not fiction. It’s unfolding in classrooms, gaming communities, group chats, and the infinite scroll of social media. To them, there is no “online” and “offline.” The online world is their real world.

For me, this isn’t some abstract theory in a show on Netflix it’s brutal, real, and happening right now. The way kids talk, the way they see relationships, the quiet rage simmering under the surface, the fear, the hopelessness isn’t fiction. This is their reality, playing out in classrooms, gaming communities, group chats, and the infinite scroll of social media. Most of the time, they don’t even realise they’re echoing incel rhetoric. It’s not a conscious choice. It’s been algorithmically fed to them. It's woven into the content they binge, the jokes they repeat, the influencers they idolise, and the viral posts passed around like digital currency from friends of friends. It’s a rabbit hole so deep that by the time anyone notices, they’re already drowning in it.

So what can we do about it? ....first we need to understand what we are dealing with.

"Incel" stands for involuntary celibate, a term used by specific online communities of men who feel rejected by women and believe they are doomed to a life without romantic or sexual relationships. Some incels quietly battle loneliness, but others spiral into blame, resentment, and misogyny. In the most extreme cases, their frustration manifests in radicalisation and violence.

For further information about Incels, click here.

Know Your Emojis to Keep Kids Safe

The AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) is urging adults to understand the double meaning of emojis and acronyms to help identify if children are being targeted by online predators.
 
AFP Commander Human Exploitation Helen Schneider said the AFP released a list of emojis and acronyms to help parents understand the language often used by online predators, who use language to connect with youth - click here for more information. 
 
"Emojis and acronyms are commonly used in online communication and are usually harmless fun, but some have double meanings that are well known and some that are not," Commander Schneider said.

Kids Online World (kidsonlineworld.com) which is a website with the aim to keep children, parents and organisations up to date with the games, websites and app that young people are currently using provided an image of emojis and their meaning. From secret slang to coded messages, emojis are often used to convey meanings that parents might not recognise. Understanding these hidden messages can help bridge the gap between generations and ensure open, informed conversations. Click here to view Emojis Explained. 

This educational resource is designed to give parents and carers the knowledge they need to better understand online conversations and recognise potential risks. By staying informed, adults can help create a safer online environment for children.