Bloop

Walking to my apartment in the late afternoon, the mountains were doing their dramatic, “remember to look up” thing, the trees were throwing long winter shadows and a little squirrel carried on with zero interest in my busy brain. Lots of big questions about the world our students will inherit. These quiet streets and green fields remind me who we’re designing for: young humans who deserve futures as expansive as these skies.

Today we’re bringing a little Mauritian LAKAZ to our online lives 🇲🇺
So many posts are designed to make us click, react and share on impulse. LAKAZ is a simple, classroom‑friendly habit to help learners (and adults) pause, check and care before they hit “share”. Remember there are real people behind every picture and message.
Save this post, share it with your students, and start using LAKAZ in your next digital citizenship lesson or family conversation.

KAYA: a small South African word that can make a big difference online.

It’s our simple check‑before‑you‑share habit for an AI-saturated world: come “home” to careful thinking and ubuntu before you tap share. If more of us could “keep it KAYA”, our feeds would be safer, kinder and more truthful.

Trust begins with data discipline.

🚨 Technology for Learning or “Attachment”? 🚨

I just watched Tristan Harris’s new interview on how engagement-driven AI could push society into an even deeper psychological, democratic, and ethical crisis than social media ever did.

In the interview he warns us that:
⚠️Social media competed for our attention; AI is competing for our “attachment.”
⚠️AI systems (think ChatGPT, Claude) are engineered to validate our every belief, creating echo chambers customised for each user. Harris calls it “AI psychosis” and “chatbait.”
⚠️These tools threaten to undermine our ability to concentrate, form real relationships, and process reality. These risks are especially considerable for developing young minds.
⚠️Companies race for engagement and growth, putting safety and psychological health last.
⚠️Without rapid action, we risk new forms of misinformation, polarisation, and mass “attachment disorders.”
⚠️Real solutions will take public knowledge, democratic standards, and pressure on tech giants like Apple, Google, and Meta.

What if education focused on nurturing attention, deep reading, play, and ethical thinking before tech takes over attachment?

Are we setting up our kids to know when and how to disconnect, question authority, and form authentic relationships, or will AI define their sense of reality and belonging?

We can make these concerns part of everyday digital citizenship, parenting, and classroom practices.

Watch the full interview here: https://youtu.be/TFm3Q6woEaY?si=UbEHaA2hHAqWxsQg

Advocate for humane technology and safe childhood online.

Tristan Harris On The Dangers of Engagement-Maximizing AI Technology ethicist Tristan Harris (from the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma and co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology) and Steve Rathje (inc...

Teens are using AI to fake “homeless intruder” pics as a prank—leading to real police responses. Digital empathy matters. Read the story here: https://www.theverge.com/news/798681/police-stop-pulling-ai-homeless-man-tiktok-prank

🎯 National Cybersecurity Awareness Month
Cybersecurity in schools isn’t just about firewalls or fancy passwords — it’s about people. 🧠💻
From principals to teachers to support staff, every role has a part to play in keeping our schools safe from cyber threats.
Because strong schools aren’t just well-equipped; they’re well-prepared. 💪

Endless digital life… or never really being allowed to rest? With AI deepfakes, people are finding out that ‘forever online’ can mean never really saying goodbye. When technology lets anyone recreate a face or voice (even after death) the pain of loss doesn’t just linger. It can restart, again and again.
For some, this is a nightmare: loved ones endure repeat waves of grief, and digital clones risk hurting legacies, spreading lies, or fueling harassment. Cyber trauma is real, and it’s time we ask tough questions about what true respect (for the living AND the dead) looks like in a world where memories are no longer private, and ‘goodbye’ might never really mean goodbye.
Let’s lead the way for ethical tech and .

Read the Tech Crunch article here: https://techcrunch.com/2025/10/07/you-cant-libel-the-dead-but-that-doesnt-mean-you-should-deepfake-them/

🚨 PARENT & EDUCATOR ALERT 🚨
Some Spy Dog, Spy Pup & Spy Cat books by Andrew Cope have been pulled from shelves after a printed web link at the back was found to lead to explicit adult content. A harsh reminder that digital dangers can slip into even the safest spaces - even your child’s bookshelf.
At Bloop, we’re working for a world where every child grows up safe, connected, and protected, both online and offline. This incident shows exactly why delaying smartphones, social media, and unsupervised browsing matters.
🔹 If you own these books, please check the link and remove or cover it immediately.
🔹 Talk with your kids and encourage them to speak up if they ever see something worrying either in print or online.
🔹 Support phone-free schools & communities as every small action helps build a safer digital world for children.
Let’s stay alert, stay informed, and stand together because childhood can’t be rewound. 💙

Your child’s new best friend knows everything! Are you OK with the machines talking to your kids—and becoming their constant companion?
Nearly 3 in 4 children have chatted with AI bots, some trusting these digital ‘friends’ more than real people. Kids ask AI for homework help, advice and comfort without questioning if the answers are safe or truthful. As AI moves into childhood friendships, parents and educators need to step in and be the human in the room: talk, set limits, and help kids tell tech friendship from real connection. If we aren’t there, AI (by design) will be. History has proved we cat trust big tech! Read The Guardian post here: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/ng-interactive/2025/oct/02/ai-children-parenting-creativity
Would you let a machine be your child’s new best friend? 💬 Let’s talk!