An open Zoom call aimed at 6-12 year olds to talk about gender and JKR

ILove I have kids in that age bracket and yes, quite a few kids that age do have effectively unlimited access to the internet. More so over lockdown. But also because unless you’re quite IT savvy you wouldn’t know you needed to lock down things like your smart TV, protect adult or shared devices with hard to guess codes and / or separate logins AND put regularly updated net nanny software on all kids devices. And even then, that wouldn’t necessarily stop them using zoom, it depends how you set the security settings. And JKR is a massive hook, especially for the younger end of that age group.

They might as well have asked 6 year olds if they'd like to see some puppies.

I agree that the people who organised this are 100% to blame. I'm just surprised they got an audience and one which was very young from the sound of it. Maybe Humpty is right and the JKR hook is what did it.

Do children of 6 really have smartphones that they can access unsupervised? Most people I know allow phones from secondary age only (so 11 at the earliest).

Well, learn something (disturbingly) new every day I suppose.....

They'd better be a bit careful just in case JKR comes after them too, wonder if she knows about this. The Day's big apology should be taken on board by lots of groups.

Slowly, slowly, catchy monkey

I'd bet my life savings that every single one of the "women" guest speakers on that zoom is a middle aged man. Are we allowed to start using the G word yet? How much worse does it have to get before we can start using the G word?

Meeting announcement for Healthwatch Wolverhampton

Surely most of that target audience would not have a clue what any of the intended content even meant, so who was sighing /joining up for them? Or did they participate because they thought the Zoom was about Harry Potter for eg because they understood the talk to be about JK Rowlings?

Also, if you think you’re actually ’on message’, why plant a couple of sympathetic audience members (pretending to be kids) to ask the ‘right’ questions, make the ‘right’ noises?

Nothing to worry about at all

Just when you think you can’t be shocked any more, along comes this

Don't they realise that as a ?charity aimed at young children who may be going through difficulties, giving the message that chatting to whoever on the net who says they can help us a TOTAL FUCKING NO-NO

6-12 FFS

what are they thinking

Woah.

And let's not do the blame the parents. (Often shorthand for mothers).

Plenty of kids have smartphones laptops etc and parents who don't know or understand the risks/ CBA / etc etc

This is on the people who organised it. 100%.

Sinister AF.

What on earth are Healthwatchdoing promoting this? Truly appalling given their remit. Their annual public meeting in Wolverhampton is on 29 July. Are there any local MNers who could go and ask about this?

This is hugely dodgy. Even if the charity has good intentions they have no idea who else might be logging on.

Many schools have not used Zoom for remote teaching due to various safeguarding risks.
The NSPCC page here has "official age rating" 16+ and suggest parents should supervise children using it.
www.net-aware.org.uk/networks/zoom/

M&S are going to be selling binders?

So I posted before I read the transcript.

Apparently lots of parents let their children do this unsupervised. And the kids were warned at the start 'not to try to make what we're saying wrong'. And that's just the start.

What the hell. WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE? WHERE WERE THE PARENTS?

There are so many things wrong here. So. Fucking. Many. I’m beyond even believing that most of these people at these charities are well-meaning fools. They seem more like people who I’d class as actively dangerous towards children. And just for clarity - no, I‘M not inferring anything in particular about any individual or even a group of individuals. Such a catastrophic failure to understand safeguarding has consequences which stretch far beyond their nonsense and which they obviously couldn’t even begin to comprehend.

So, in that case (as it’s clear they haven’t got the faintest idea about safeguarding), I propose they are made to stay the fuck away from children. There is active harm being done here.

Is this for real? I didn't think my gaster could be further flabbered. 6? This has to be a set up...

WTAF?

How do we report this?

I had recalled a male bod bragging about this on Twitter at the time. Gloating that wait until MN found out M&S were donating to Sparkle.

Ah Sparkle...friends of M&S

This week we catch up with Lee Clatworthy, Interim Vice Chair of Sparkle - The National Transgender Charity

'What has been your proudest achievement as a Trustee of Sparkle?'

Last year I invited the new Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, to speak to everyone about his commitment to trans equality, acceptance, and his support for the reform of the Gender Recognition Act. This year, I've persuaded Marks & Spencer to have a considerable presence in the park. As well as proving the Marks & Spencer brand to be more inclusive and progressive than most people think, it's great to have them offering their Fit & Style and bra-fitting services to our visitors. They'll also be wanting to talk to trans men about the possibility of manufacturing and selling binders on the high street - which is a huge step forward!'

Thanks for sharing this @XXSex
I went on Gendered Intelligence the other day and they have 'Get me out of here' button. There needs to be an enquiry in to this ASAP