Reflective Parenting Podcast by Curious Neuron

Reflections on the Hidden Risks Inside Kids' Group Chats

Cindy Hovington, Ph.D. Season 9 Episode 7

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0:00 | 31:59

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What does Toy Story 5 have to do with raising emotionally healthy kids? 

Trigger warning: masturbation is mentioned in this episode.

 Much more than I expected. After watching the movie with my children, I found myself reflecting on something far bigger than screen time: the conversations we're not having about friendship, group chats, and cyberbullying. 

In this episode, I share the true story of a Grade 6 classroom that left me speechless, explore what research tells us about the long-term impact of cyberbullying, and offer three simple reflection questions you can use to start meaningful conversations with your own child. If we're going to hand our children devices, we also need to help them build the emotional skills to navigate the digital world.

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Read my blog post about cyberbullying:

https://curiousneuron.com/2026/07/12/research-finds-that-cyberbullying-harms-kids-mental-health-over-time/

Read the scientific article I shared with you here:

Traditional bullying and cyberbullying in the digital age and its associated mental health problems in children and adolescents: a meta‐analysis

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