Panels Roundup: 4 great conversations on timely topics

When it comes to digital security and digital citizenship, there are so many important topics to dig into. We’ve rounded up our top four TELUS Wise® panel discussions from 2023 to inspire new ideas and open dialogue with your family and friends. Topics include keeping seniors safe in our digital world, sextortion, online gaming and artificial intelligence.

#1: Helping Seniors Stay Safe in our Digital World

TELUS Ambassador Linda Hoang sat down with David Handleman, Board Member at BC 411 Seniors Centre Society and Stephanie Senecal, Senior Support Unit Coordinator at the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. Many seniors are turning to the online world to stay digitally connected to friends, family, passions and interests, but unfortunately, bad actors see this as an opportunity.

The panel discussion focuses on:

• Why digital connections are so essential for seniors and the importance of digital safety knowledge
• How to be fraud aware and avoid falling victim to scams targeting seniors
• How to respond if you’ve been victimized.

#2: Youth Sextortion: What it is, How to Avoid it and What to do if it Happens

TELUS Ambassador Apryl Munro sat down with two well-known advocates for online child safety – Carol Todd, BC Educator and mother of Amanda Todd and Signy Arnason, Associate Executive Director at the Canadian Centre for Child Protection. As kids become more engaged on social media and online gaming, there is a growing danger of predators looking to cause harm.

In this panel, Apryl, Carol and Signy discuss:

• The definition of youth sextortion
• Where sextortion can start
• Tips for prevention
• The value of technology contracts
• What to do if your family faces this situation.

#3: Tips to “Level up” your Online Gaming Support for Youth

In this quick but informative four-part conversation, TELUS Wise Ambassador Matt Aiken talks with TELUS Wise Advocates Casey Palmer and Katie Hession about the world of online gaming and how we can help our kids stay safe.

The conversation focuses on:

• How to stay safe when gaming online
• How parents can get involved in moderating time spent, stressing the importance of breaks and evaluating the games kids are playing
• Questions to ask kids before they start playing a new game
• Three key things to manage for healthy and safe gaming
• Benefits of online gaming.

#4: Exploring AI

AI is all the rage. TELUS Wise Advocate Jake Mossop, STEM Content Creator Sarah Habibi and Elissa Strome, Executive Director of the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy at the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) tackled the topic in a four-part conversation.

Topics focus on:

• What is AI and how does it work
• How AI shows up in our everyday life
• Myths and misconceptions about AI
• AI and misinformation.

The panel discussions are a great way to learn more about these topics and hear ideas and insights from a wide variety of perspectives.

For the seniors in your life, consider supporting them on their digital journey by sharing our refreshed Seniors Guide. For the youth in your life, be sure to check out our Kahoot! channel - it's packed with fun quizzes covering everything from protecting your online reputation to gaming and AI. The quizzes are great conversation starters to get your kids talking about digital citizenship in a casual and non-threatening manner.