Everything Counts | Episode 35: Online safety for children

Loading player...
Are you worried about what your children are doing online or how to handle it if your child is the one causing harm?

In this episode of Everything Counts, host Motheo Khoaripe sits down once again with Emma Sadleir Berkovitz, founder of the Digital Law Company and Africa’s leading expert on social media law and digital risk. Together, they tackle one of the most difficult topics in parenting today: what to do when your child becomes a cyberbully and how to guide them towards responsible, empathetic online behaviour.

From the legal consequences of cyberbullying to the real-world impact of digital actions, this episode explores the cyberspace fallacy and the lasting effects of online harm. You’ll learn how peer-to-peer digital abuse manifests, the dangers of oversharing online and how online anonymity fuels online cruelty, all while discovering tools to help your children develop resilience, empathy and accountability.

Emma also shares insights on digital literacy, the growing movement for a ‘smartphone-free childhood’ and practical strategies for parents to keep children safe online.

If you’re a parent, teacher or caregiver navigating the challenges of raising kids in a connected world, this episode is your roadmap to understanding, prevention and empowerment.

Stay informed, stay intentional and help your children build a healthier relationship with technology, one click at a time.

00:00 Introduction
01:00 How to parent a child that is a cyberbully
02:50 Legal consequences of cyberbullying
04:50 The cyberspace fallacy
07:00 How prevalent is peer-to-peer harm?
11:00 The digital world as an extension of the real world
14:00 The dangers of oversharing online
17:00 Empowering kids with social scripts
17:50 Online anonymity makes cyberbullying worse
19:10 Increase in mental health issues for children
21:00 Smartphone Free Childhood
22:30 Digital literacy starts at a young age
24:30 Parents need to educate children on their online responsibilities
26:30 Tips for parents to keep children safe online
30:00 Conclusion
17 Nov 2025 English South Africa Business · Investing

Other recent episodes

No Ordinary Wednesday | Mini-Budget 2026: More revenue, less borrowing?

Stronger revenue offers an opportunity to reduce borrowing. Will spending pressures limit the gains? Ahead of the 2026 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS), Investec’s Annabel Bishop and Tertia Jacobs to examine the choices facing National Treasury. Higher precious metals prices offer the prospect of better-than-budgeted tax revenue. But weaker growth,…
11 Oct 26 min

Macro Monday Ep134: Fixed income investors are having a tough time

There’s been an almost universal rise in bond yields around the world over the past few months. According to Global Chief Investment Officer Chris Holdsworth, developed markets have seen the biggest rises, with France one of the hardest hit, as it grapples with a worsening fiscal situation.
5 Oct 9 min

Macro Monday ep 133 | US growth is running hot

The US economy is running hot, with the latest indicators pointing to 5% GDP growth, ahead of market forecasts for third-quarter growth of 2.8%. This comes despite high oil prices and rising inflation and has implications for the US dollar and the prospects of the US being able to grow…
28 Sep 8 min

No Ordinary Wednesday | South Africa’s race to get connected

South Africa’s digital infrastructure is expanding rapidly, from data centres and fibre networks to satellites. But can the country provide the power, capital and regulatory certainty needed to turn digital investment into lasting growth? On No Ordinary Wednesday, Jeremy Maggs speaks to Investec CIB’s Louise Pillay, a telecoms and media…
23 Sep 19 min

Investec Minds Ep 4: Chris Griffith on leading mining through crisis

In conversation with Head of Investec Equity Research Nkateko Mathonsi, former Gold Fields CEO Chris Griffith reflects on the high-stakes decisions that shaped his mining career, from investing through downturns to balancing business survival with its human cost. In this episode: 00:00: Introduction 01:08: A $1bn ambition for Africa 02:28:…
21 Sep 32 min