Path Wānaka exists to help parents and whānau support our young people as they face adult-sized challenges and change.

And right now, the biggest of those challenges is happening in the palms of their hands.

Let’s face it, what our kids are facing online is beyond anything we have ever imagined. It’s horrifying. It’s terrifying. It’s huge. It feels out of control. And yes, at times, it’s overwhelming.

That’s why we are again hosting Rob Cope, writer, filmmaker, and presenter of Our Kids Online, for a Cyber Safety event that every parent of teens and pre-teens in our community MUST attend.

This isn’t an optional “parenting info evening.”

This is the talk you cannot afford to miss if you are invested in keeping your child safe online.

The Hard Truth : Our Local Reality

In 2023, the Upper Clutha Youth Voice Survey asked our young people about their online experiences. The results are confronting:

• 89% of Upper Clutha teens have been exposed to worrying or nasty content online.

… That’s not a global stat. That’s our kids. Right here.

• 3 in 5 young people say social media is harming their mental health.
• Half of students said they had not shared information or images they later regretted. And the other half?
• Social media is among the top four biggest problems our young people say they are facing today.

“It’s getting darker and darker. What our kids face online is getting worse, not better.”

– Rob Cope

“Predators are now asking victims to self-harm, cut themselves, video it, and send it to them.”

– Rob Cope

What’s Really Happening to Our Kids?

This isn’t scare-mongering. These are the realities New Zealand children are facing right now:

• Sexting is normalised by Year 8.
• Teen boys are regularly watching violent porn.
• Gaming addiction is costing teens their sleep, focus, mental health, and real-life connection with friends and family.
• Predators make first contact through apps that our teens are accessing - Snapchat, Instagram DMs, and gaming chats to name a few.
• Our tamariki are being exposed to unsolicited nudes, or feeling pressured to send them.
• Many don’t tell parents for fear of losing their phone or getting into trouble.

“It has nothing to do with good kid, bad kid, good family, bad family. One day another kid shows something to your child, and now they’re in it.” – Rob Cope

The Images They Can’t Unsee

Violent beheadings. Animal cruelty. Live-streamed suicides. Porn they never should have to be exposed to. Shocked? You should be!!

“My own daughter watched the Christchurch massacre in its entirety on a friend’s phone. Most of the kids at her school saw it that day.” – Rob Cope

Counsellors are hearing from 11 and 12-year-olds asking:

“Am I a bad person because I can’t stop thinking about it?”

This is trauma, and it’s happening to children years before they are emotionally mature to process it.

Why You Need to Hear Rob Cope

Rob Cope is a parent, filmmaker, and the co-founder of Our Kids Online. He’s spent seven years travelling New Zealand, uncovering the uncomfortable truths about what’s happening to our young people online, and how to fight back.

This event is not a lecture. It’s a reality check and a toolkit for action. You’ll leave shocked, but more importantly equipped with the knowledge and tools to protect your tamariki and whānau.

Event Details

6:30–8:30pm, Thursday 11 September

Lake Wānaka Centre

Get Your Tickets Here

Final Word

If you think this doesn’t apply to your child, that’s exactly why you should come.

Show up for your teen, for their safety, their wellbeing, and their future.

“When I protected my kids online, I also protected yours… please protect your kids so you’re also protecting mine.” Rob Cope.

Listen to The Platform host Leah Panapa speak to Rob Cope earlier this month on why online harm is only getting worse.