SuperAwesome’s #Kidtech podcast goes behind the scenes with the people and companies shaping the kids digital landscape. Hosted by Dylan Collins, SuperAwesome CEO, the podcast features a variety of industry experts—from regulators to company founders to creators and beyond.
As 2020 comes to a close, we’ve rounded up the top five most-listened-to episodes of Season 2. Keep reading below to learn which episodes won over listeners this year.
5. Rebecca Slaughter, FTC Commissioner
Listen if: You are a brand or content creator that reaches kids, Young Teens, or mixed audiences.
What you’ll learn: In 2019, kids digital privacy went mainstream as Google and YouTube reached a record settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for violating COPPA, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. The $170 million fine, following a prolonged investigation, was a critical step for kids’ online safety and moved the goalposts for enforcement of privacy laws. Rebecca Slaughter joined us to discuss the fine, the FTC’s role in regulating digital privacy laws, and what she thinks the future of COPPA might look like.
Notable quote: “Companies have an obligation to comply with the law. That’s a bare minimum. I also want to see companies taking responsibility to do more than that and to treat the ecosystems that they are cultivating with care—not just for those ecosystems, but for all of the people who use them and grow from them.”
Listen to the full episode here.
4. Tami Bhaumik, Vice President of Marketing & Digital Civility, Roblox
Listen if: You are a parent; you want to learn more about the metaverse; you are a gaming company.
What you’ll learn: Roblox is taking the world by storm: 115 million kids and teens play an average of 20 games on the imagination platform a month. This popularity reflects recent shifts in kids’ gaming patterns; games have become broader ecosystems for kids and Young Teens to connect, discover, learn, and create. We were joined by Tami Bhaumik for an exciting conversation about the platform’s meteoric growth, the nuances between compliance and youth online safety, and Tami’s role in leading digital civility at Roblox.
Notable quote: “We had a moral and ethical obligation to help empower young people with the tools necessary to create positive experiences for themselves. The internet itself is still relatively new…and the rules of engagement are still being formed.”
Listen to the full episode here.
3. Mark Read, CEO, WPP
Listen if: You are responsible for marketing or advertising in an in-house or agency setting; you are a business leader in the Covid-era.
What you’ll learn: The Covid-19 pandemic created an unprecedented situation for kids, Young Teens, and parents around the world. With more time spent at home and screen time on the rise, young audiences adopted technology products and services for everything from communicating with their distanced friends and family members to learning. As CEO of the world’s largest advertising and communications company, Mark offered valuable insights into what this shift means for brands adapting to a new, family-focused type of existence.
Notable quote: “I think that we’re all going to come out of [Covid-19] with kids much, much more connected than before… but it’s going to bring with it a greater sense of responsibility in making sure the internet is a safe place for children.”
Listen to the full episode here.
2. Elizabeth Denham, UK Information Commissioner
Listen if: You are a digital service provider with UK reach; you are curious about where global digital privacy laws are headed.
What you’ll learn: More than 175,000 children go online for the first time every day—but the internet wasn’t built with them in mind. The groundbreaking Age Appropriate Design Code (AADC), which recently became law in the UK, aims to address this; it was created to protect the best interests of under-18 audiences in designing online services. Elizabeth Denham joined us to discuss the law and its impact, as well as the wider youth digital privacy landscape.
Notable quote: “A generation from now we’ll all be astonished that there was ever a time when there wasn’t regulation to protect kids online. And it’ll be as normal as putting on a seatbelt.”
Listen to the full episode here.
1. Isaac Larian, CEO and Founder, MGA Entertainment
Listen if: You are a toy company or kids brand; you enjoy learning about innovative companies.
What you’ll learn: The effects of an uncertain and transformative year have impacted many industries, and toy companies are no exception. In this episode, we were joined by Isaac Larian to discuss how the toy industry is changing and where it is headed. The conversation included Isaac’s thoughts on the impact of a changing digital landscape on physical play, how MGA Entertainment has managed to build a multi-billion dollar toy business by staying on top of the latest trends, and more.
Notable quote: “As a toy company who truly loves children…we owe it to them to protect them, to entertain them, to expand their imagination.”
Listen to the full episode here.
In Season 3 of #Kidtech, we’ll continue to feature a wide range of exciting guests spanning the kids digital landscape. Until then, all episodes of #Kidtech are available on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon Music, and Soundcloud.
Have a guest in mind? We’d love to hear from you! Please direct all inquiries to [email protected].
