Roblox Strengthens Its Safety Commitment With A New Parent Council

Sydney, Australia, Roblox, one of the world’s most popular gaming and creation platforms, is inviting Australian parents and carers to join its first-ever Global Parent Council.

This new initiative strengthens the company’s ongoing commitment to online safety, digital wellbeing, and age-appropriate experiences for its community of more than 150 million users.

For many families, Roblox is a space where kids learn, play, and create.

However, as digital engagement grows, so does the need for strong, transparent safety measures.

Parents want reassurance that the platforms their children use are putting forward the highest safety standards possible.

With the launch of the Parent Council, Roblox is providing families with an unprecedented opportunity to directly influence how safety evolves on the platform.

Why Roblox Is Inviting Parents To Help Shape Safety

The Parent Council comes at a crucial time, following their introduction of several industry-leading safety features. These include:

• Age-based communication tools to ensure kids only interact with age-appropriate users
• Facial age verification checks to protect older-tier experiences
• More than 145 safety initiatives were added in 2024, covering moderation, parental controls, and new family-friendly settings

These innovations reflect Roblox’s broader mission to create a safer, more empowering digital world for young users.

Australia is one of the first countries to benefit from these upgraded protections, demonstrating the platform’s commitment to supporting local families.

“At Roblox, user safety is paramount,” said Dr Elizabeth Milovidov, Head of Parental Advocacy at Roblox.

“We’ve introduced more than 145 safety initiatives this year alone, from advanced moderation and parental controls to age-based communication.

Now, we want parents to help guide what comes next as we acknowledge that safety is a shared responsibility, and we want parents to have a direct voice in this journey.

We’d love to see Australian parents and carers well represented on our Parent Council.”

This emphasis on co-designing safety solutions marks a significant shift in how large platforms approach digital wellbeing.

By empowering the very people who understand children’s needs best.

What the Roblox Parent Council Will Do

Members of the Parent Council will meet quarterly to collaborate directly with the company’s safety, trust, and policy teams. Their role includes:

• Reviewing Roblox’s existing safety tools and parental controls
• Offering feedback on what’s working for families—and what isn’t
• Recommending improvements to ensure online experiences remain kid-friendly
• Helping shape policies that protect young users worldwide
• Representing diverse parenting perspectives and digital needs

For Women Love Tech readers, this is a meaningful opportunity to ensure women’s voices, tech-savvy parenting insights, and digital literacy expertise influence the future of online safety.

Women are often the primary digital decision-makers in households, making their input essential in designing safe tech ecosystems.

Why This Matters For Australian Families

Australian parents have consistently shown strong interest in digital safety education, cyber wellbeing, and healthy tech habits.

The company has chosen Australia as one of the first regions for this council because of its active and informed parent community.

As our kids are spending more time on online games, learning platforms, and social tools. Initiatives like this are critical for helping families navigate technology responsibly.

The Parent Council gives Australian caregivers the chance to help shape a safer digital future.

Not just for their own children, but for millions of young users globally.

How To Apply

Roblox is now welcoming applications from Australian parents and carers. Applications close Sunday, 7 December.

Apply Here

If you are passionate about online safety, digital parenting, women in tech, or creating positive digital experiences, this is a valuable opportunity to contribute.

For more information, please visit: https://corp.roblox.com/newsroom/2025/10/roblox-launches-first-parent-council

The post Roblox Invites You To Join Its New Global Parent Council first appeared on Women Love Tech.

When Dr. Naba Alfayadh fled Iraq in 2003, she did not know that two decades later she would be standing on a stage in Brisbane, accepting the Telstra Best of Business National Award for Business of the Year. Yet here she was, representing Rahma Health, an Australia-based charity redefining the way families access health and parenting support across the globe.

“There is so much inequity in childhood around the world, and that sets up inequity for our entire lives,” Dr. Alfayadh told Women Love Tech. “Our first five years affect our physical health, mental health, and set our academic and earning potential for the rest of our lives. There is so much inequity in the support and information that parents have access to, which causes disparities that last lifetimes.”

Rahma Health was born from that conviction.

Focused on Arabic-speaking families affected by war, displacement, and intergenerational trauma, the charity creates culturally and psychologically safe resources to bridge gaps in healthcare access.

“I established Rahma Health to start healing our world and create a more equal, loving world that respects human dignity, starting with the essential first five years,” she explains.

“Every child, regardless of the language their parents speak or the country they live in, deserves access to the information that will give them the best start to life. That’s the world we’re building, one family at a time.”

At the heart of Rahma Health is a surprisingly radical idea: love. “We spent eight months researching what love is — and this is at the heart of everything we do. Love is the most energising, incredible, joyous experience. It is so powerful that many philosophers and religions describe it as the purpose of life and the peak of the experience of being alive. One of the most important gifts we will give our children is love.”

Dr. Alfayadh’s work is intensely personal.

“For many refugee families, becoming parents marks the first time they’re experiencing unconditional love — switching out of survival mode and fight-or-flight responses for the first time in their lives,” she says.

“I want Rahma especially to support parents to break cycles of lovelessness and cruelty and to start loving their children in a healthy, authentic, wholehearted way. When we change how we love our children, we change the future of humanity itself.”

Her own childhood was marked by loss and fear.

“We left Iraq six months after the American invasion began. Our school got bombed, and my mother realised how close the danger was. I remember the monstrously large grey aeroplanes, the tanks, the bleeding people, the overwhelming fear. All of us sat in complete, eerie silence, waiting to die. It took me two decades to start feeling like the world could be safe again.”

Arriving in Australia did not immediately erase those scars.

“Just four months after we arrived, my father passed away. My mother suddenly became a single parent to three daughters in a completely new country where she didn’t speak the language and had no support network. She was terrified, and we were plunged into profound poverty,” Dr. Alfayadh recalls.

Even small acts of social life, like buying birthday presents for friends, became impossible. “For two years of high school, I decided not to have friends because birthday gifts were too expensive for my mum. It really hurt to ask her for money, so it felt easier to just not have friends at all.”

Education became her lifeline. Scholarships opened doors to mentorship and opportunities she could never have imagined. “I felt so incredibly lucky to grow up in Australia. I remembered life in Iraq very clearly and was so aware of the privilege, safety, and power that were now open to me. I want to use every privilege I have to make life better for other people.”

Rahma Health grew out of that sense of responsibility. “I’ve always imagined a better world. Even as a child, it didn’t make sense to me that people treated each other with such cruelty, or that such profound inequality existed. The turning point came when I was 15. I realised all the adults were just as confused and scared as I was. No one was coming to save us. If we wanted the world to change, it was up to us ‘normal’ people to do something about it.”

From that understanding, she launched Happy Brain Education in 2016 to support young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds. Rahma Health, she says, grew from the same principle: “Too many systems weren’t designed with people like me or the families I work with in mind. I wanted to create something that truly serves the people who need it most, honours their experiences, and helps them build the lives they deserve.”

The recognition from Telstra’s Best of Business Awards marks a new chapter. “In just the three days surrounding the Awards, we formed so many new partnerships, learned new skills, and gained incredible mentors,” she says. Partnerships with AI translation platform Knowby will allow Rahma to deliver parenting training in 140 languages, reaching families previously inaccessible.

Mentorship from leaders like Dr. Samantha Pillay and Dr. Zoe Condliffe is already shaping Rahma’s next steps.

Rahma Health’s core team is small but deeply committed. “This is not work for our team — it is a life purpose, a life calling, a life mission,” she says. “Our volunteers and partner organisations make an enormous global impact. We take care of our own health, our families, and our colleagues first, because we cannot pour from an empty cup. We want to start a worldwide revolution in parenting, and we want Rahma to be a household name globally.”

For Dr. Alfayadh, the work is never finished. “We are only at the start of our journey. Every child deserves love, dignity, and opportunity. If we can give that, we can change the world.”

Celebrating Purpose-Driven Success: Rahma Health Wins Big at Telstra Awards

When passion meets purpose, incredible things happen—and Rahma Health is living proof. At the 2025 Telstra Best of Business Awards National Gala in Brisbane, this inspiring organisation was crowned Business of the Year, a title that shines a spotlight on businesses making a real difference in people’s lives.

Founded by Dr Naba Alfayadh, Rahma Health is an Australia-based charity creating culturally and psychologically safe health and parenting resources for multicultural communities worldwide. Its mission focuses on Arabic-speaking families affected by war, displacement, racism, poverty, and intergenerational trauma, bridging critical gaps in healthcare access and support.

Telstra Business Group Executive Amanda Hutton praised Rahma Health’s transformative impact on women, families, and communities. She highlighted Dr Alfayadh’s inspiring leadership and ability to leverage technology and global partnerships to build a scalable platform that ensures vulnerable groups receive essential health guidance and resources.

The post Celebrating Purpose-Driven Success: Dr Naba Alfayadh From Rahma Health On Her Telstra Business Award Win first appeared on Women Love Tech.

Technology and art intersect everywhere these days, but the 360 Art Centre in Chiang Mai in Thailand offers a refreshingly different take on how the two can collide.

Nestled in the quiet streets of Hang Dong, the centre immediately feels like something entirely new. Chiang Mai has no shortage of creative spaces, yet the moment I stepped inside, I sensed it wasn’t like any gallery or wellness studio I’d seen before. The air thrummed with a subtle, futuristic energy, a feeling that something extraordinary was unfolding. At 360 Art Centre, immersive technology, digital art, and healing practices are deliberately intertwined, creating a hybrid space that redefines what a creative experience can be.

360 Art Centre in Chiang Mai

My visit began with the Mystic Universe art exhibition. The experience is an exuberant blend of motion and light.

It presents cultural teachings while prompting visitors with thought-provoking questions for self-reflection as they move through a circuit of domes and immersive projections. The immersive projections show art by Luminokaya, Igor Baranko, Julios Horsthuis and Adroid Jones. These artists operate in digital realms and while they have different styles, their shared interest in mysticism, cosmology, and immersive digital art makes the exhibition feel unified.

What struck me most was how thoughtfully the technology is used. Every projection and soundscape seemed designed to draw you in, not overwhelm your senses. Technology like this can challenge our expectations. Usually, it pulls us into work, socialising, or distraction. Here, it does the opposite as it acts as a bridge, and helps you slow down and actually connect with the experience.

Android Jones layers intricate digital brushwork with hypnotic motion, Julius Horsthuis builds fractal landscapes that feel alive and endless, and Igor Baranko and Luminokaya uses digital painting and animation to bring mystical, symbolic worlds to life. Seeing their work projected around me, in full motion and colour, felt completely different from looking at a static piece, it is immersive, thought-provoking, and easy to get lost in.

Some of the interesting concepts involve things like the First Law of Thermodynamics, the Golden Ratio, Karma, and Yin and Yang, and Ancient Vedic knowledge. The ancient Vedic tradition comes from early India, long before modern Hinduism took shape. The Vedas themselves are a collection of sacred texts passed down orally for generations, carrying ideas about the nature of reality and the cycles of the universe.

After walking through the Mystic Universe exhibition, viewers can choose to join a sound-healing experience inside one of the domes. I took part in a session that paired traditional instruments with digital visuals.

As you lie on a comfortable mat within the 360-degree dome and listen to sound bowls, flutes, and more, you are also immersed in entrancing visuals, creating an experience that feels both intimate and expansive. The visuals display a variety of symbols, creatures, and figures blended with fractal geometry, guiding your attention while the sound encourages deeper relaxation. The centre’s yoga and meditation sessions use the same approach: technology is not decoration but an integral part of the therapeutic process.

Spaces like this are unique, 360 Art Center offers a glimpse of what the future of creativity, technology and wellbeing might look like.

The post The Tech-Driven Art Space Redefining Wellness; A New Creative Sanctuary in Chiang Mai first appeared on Women Love Tech.

Snapchat Introduces New Age Verification Measures in Australia Ahead of SMMA Deadline

As Australia moves toward enforcing its new Social Media Minimum Age Act (SMMA), Snapchat has announced a sweeping rollout of age-verification measures designed to comply with the law despite strongly disagreeing with the government’s decision to classify it as an Age-Restricted Social Media Platform (ARSMP).

A New Chapter for Young Australian Snapchatters

Moving to set and reshape how under-16s use the platform, their team confirmed that it will implement new verification protocols before the December 10 deadline.

While the company says it is

“deeply saddened that young Aussies can no longer connect with their nearest and dearest via Snapchat,”

It emphasised its commitment to respecting local laws while continuing to advocate for privacy-first solutions, such as age verification at the device, operating system, or app-store level.

Snapchat Notifications Begin: What Young Users Need to Know

Starting this week, Australian Snapchat users who are under 16 will begin receiving notifications via the app, email, and SMS explaining how the new rules may impact their access.

 These alerts will guide us through the upcoming mandatory age verification process, outlining the steps they need to take before December 10.

How Snapchat’s Age Verification Will Work

From December 10, any user who they believe is under 16 based either on their self-declared age or Snapchat’s inferred age modelling will need to complete age verification using one of several secure methods provided through third-party partners:

• ConnectID (Bank-verified): A secure age check using an Australian bank account.
• Photo ID Upload: Verification via a government-issued ID (passport, driver’s licence, or state ID) scanned and validated by k-ID.
• Facial Age Estimation: A selfie-based age estimate processed through k-ID’s encrypted system.

Downloading Data Before Access is Restricted

For users who are unable to verify their age, their team is encouraging them to download their data.

Memories, Chats, and Videos stored on the platform can be saved before accounts become inaccessible on December 10.

Users are also advised to cancel any active subscriptions they have within the app.

Snapchat’s Account Locking for Under-16 Users

Under the SMMA requirements, they will begin locking accounts of users under 16 starting December 10.

These accounts may remain closed for up to three years, or until the user turns 16 and chooses to reactivate their account.

Support and Appeals Available on Snapchat

The app has launched additional resources on its Help page for users experiencing issues with age verification.

Or for those who believe their account was incorrectly locked or deactivated.

Snapchat’s Statement on the SMMA

A spokesperson from their media team expressed their concerns for the impact on teens, saying:

“Snapchat is and has always been a visual messaging app, primarily used for connection with your closest friends and family.

“We know that for teens, maintaining friendships is a key contributor to happiness and well-being, and we are deeply saddened that young Aussies can no longer connect with their nearest and dearest via Snapchat.

“However, even though we strongly disagree with the government’s assessment that Snapchat is an age-restricted social Media Platform”

“We will disable accounts for users under 16 from December 10.”

A Turning Point for Social Media Regulation

Their compliance with the SMMA marks a significant shift in how social platforms operate in Australia, signalling a broader change in regulatory expectations globally.

While the company continues to push for privacy-conscious, device-level age verification.

They remain open, they remain committed to adhering to Australian law and supporting users throughout this transition.

For more information, visit: https://newsroom.snap.com/australia-social-media-minimum-age-law

The post New Age Verification Hits Snapchat Ahead of Australia’s SMMA first appeared on Women Love Tech.

Australia is the first in the world to catch the ÆRTHLINGS craze, and the new era of connected play officially begins Down Under.

Imagine a universe where your toys come alive, where every trade unlocks new creatures, and where collecting isn’t just about ownership, it’s about connection. That’s exactly the magic behind ÆRTHLINGS, the new Pokémon-like mobile game taking Australia by storm, blending adorable digital fiends with NFC-enabled mystery-box toys that evolve, level up, and unlock an entire world of play.

The game, created by Modern Games in partnership with Melbourne-based Moose Toys, officially launched in Australia following a show-stopping debut at PAX Australia, where thousands lined up to hatch their first little creatures.

And yes, they’re just as cute as they sound.

Explore, Battle, Collect & Help Cute Fiends Get Home

In the free mobile game (available now on the App Store and Google Play), players enter the lush, mysterious world of ÆRTH, a vibrant landscape filled with creatures you can unlock, nurture, and level up.

Your mission?
Defend the land from mischievous Moonlings and help your adorable ÆRTHLINGS friends find their way home.

Players can roam the world, collect mystery boxes, and discover which tiny fig they’ve hatched next. Just like classic Pokémon gameplay, you can:

• Explore open biomes
  
• Battle Moonlings are threatening the ground.s
  
• Level up your ÆRTHLINGS
  
• Collect and evolve a new creature.s
  
• Trade to unlock even rarer lineages
  

Here’s where ÆRTHLINGS breaks new ground…

A Social Twist: Every Trade Matters

Each physical ÆRTHLINGS FIG contains an NFC chip. When scanned with a compatible iOS or Android device, your collectible toy springs to life in the game.

The revolutionary part?
When you trade your FIG with someone else, both of you unlock new characters, rewards, and digital bonuses without giving up your originals.

Embrace the magic of the Trading Platform, a first-of-its-kind system where every scan extends a creature’s LINEAGE, rewarding everyone who’s ever held that ÆRTHLINGS before.

Justin Kifer, CEO of Modern Games, explains:

“Collecting has traditionally been about ownership and display. We’re making it about connection and community. ÆRTHLINGS flips the mentality by rewarding people for sharing their collections.”

Moose Toys agrees. Adam Hyman, VP Global Marketing (Boys), says:

“With ÆRTHLINGS, we’re taking toys-to-life to a whole new level, turning collecting into connecting.”

Want To Start Your Collection? Australia Gets First Dibs

Now, Australia is the first country to launch the ÆRTHLINGS: Genesis Collection. It is available now at:

• Big W
• EB Games
• Kmart
• Target

Celebrating their success, ToyMate stores across Australia (32 locations) are hosting special trading events on Saturday, November 1st, 11 am–2 pm, the perfect chance to grow your LINEAGES and meet fellow fans and to make new experiences.

What’s Next For ÆRTHLINGS ?

With its massive success at PAX AUS 2025, the game and toy hybrid begins its global rollout in 2026, with:

• New collectible waves
• New biomes
• New mysteries to hatch
• More Moonlings to fend off
• Even deeper social trading features

The rallying cry for the franchise is already everywhere:
Collect. Trade. Play.

Fans of Pokémon, Tamagotchi, or connected-play toys, ÆRTHLINGS is poised to become the next global phenomenon, and Australia gets to experience it first.

For more information visit: https://aerthlings.com/au/en/#hero

The post ÆRTHLINGS: Australia’s New Cute Mobile Game You Need to Play first appeared on Women Love Tech.

A powerhouse line-up is set to open the Sydney Opera House’s 14th All About Women festival, returning on Sunday 8 March 2026 to coincide with International Women’s Day.

And Sydney Opera House has revealed today the first speakers will include Jacinda Ardern, Zadie Smith, Emily Maitlis and Laila Lalami.

All About Women

Every year, the Opera House becomes a vibrant meeting place for bold ideas as All About Women fills the precinct with conversations, debates and workshops that unpack the most urgent issues shaping gender equality today. The first reveal of the 2026 program brings four remarkable women to the stage:

• Jacinda Ardern – The former Prime Minister of New Zealand appears following the global success of her 2025 documentary and bestselling memoir. She will delve into her redefinition of modern leadership and what the future might hold for women in positions of power.
• Zadie Smith – The celebrated British writer will take audiences on a sharp, witty tour through the cultural and political turbulence of our times, drawing from her newly released essay collection Dead and Alive.
• Emily Maitlis – The award-winning journalist, known for her headline-making interview with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and now co-host of The News Agents podcast, will discuss journalism’s responsibility to challenge authority and pursue truth, reflecting on her long career engaging with global leaders.
• Laila Lalami – The acclaimed Moroccan-American novelist and essayist will speak about her latest book The Dream Hotel, her broader literary work and her exploration of identity, migration and freedom across gender, race and faith.

This year’s festival program is crafted by the Opera House Talks & Ideas team: Head of Talks & Ideas Chip Rolley, Director of Programming Brenna Hobson and Senior Producer Fleur Mitchell.

“Our programming team has brought together an exceptional group for the fourteenth All About Women,” Rolley said. “From Zadie Smith’s piercing cultural insights and Jacinda Ardern’s transformative approach to leadership, to Emily Maitlis’ fearless journalism and Laila Lalami’s explorations of the immigrant experience, these speakers reflect the depth and ambition of this festival.”

The full All About Women 2026 program, featuring Australian and international thinkers, creators and change-makers, will be unveiled in January.

Key Details

What: All About Women 2026
When: 8 March 2026
Where: Sydney Opera House – various venues
Price: Tickets from $35
Tickets: Insiders pre-sale opens Tuesday 2 December, 9am

The post Jacinda Ardern, Zadie Smith Lead First Announcement for All About Women 2026 first appeared on Women Love Tech.

If there’s one thing more stressful than December’s social calendar, it’s the personal battle you fight every year between wanting to soak in every festive moment… and quietly blasting All I Want for Christmas on repeat without your family staging an intervention. Enter the JBuds Lux ANC Over-Ear Headphones – the unexpected hero of your holiday prep.

With a whopping 70+ hours of playtime, these let you indulge in Mariah’s high notes from Friday afternoon gift wrapping through to Monday night ham sandwich negotiations, without so much as a low-battery warning. Even with Active Noise Cancellation turned on, you still get over 40 hours of playtime which, in festive maths, equates to roughly: one shopping trip, two awkward office parties and three intense bouts of “do I have enough chairs for Christmas lunch?”

Because let’s be honest – this time of year requires good mood management and great tech. And these headphones deliver both.

Picture this: you’re navigating Westfield, list in hand, trying to remember if your cousin is still vegan. Activate the Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation, and poof – the chaos melts away up to 35 dB, replaced by the soothing confidence of Michael Bublé. Or flick to Be Aware Mode when crossing busy streets or listening for your click-and-collect number. It’s holiday multitasking at its most sophisticated.

Planning your menu? 40mm drivers and Lab Spatial Audio make every playlist sound like you’re smack in the middle of a Christmas concert. Whether you’re baking gingerbread at 11pm or stress-folding serviettes, the immersive, three-dimensional sound wraps around you like carols by candlelight (without the risk of wax accidents).

And then there’s comfort. Because 70 hours of festive listening is only possible if your ears don’t feel like they’ve survived the Boxing Day sales. Cloud Foam earcups and headband feel like slipping into your cosiest cashmere jumper – the audio equivalent of “It’s fine, Aunty Jan, I do love hearing about your new air fryer.” Lightweight, ergonomic and foldable, they’re built for marathon listening – whether it’s a long-haul flight, your commute, or simply pretending you can’t hear someone yelling, “The elf on the shelf has gone missing!”

Those dreading the inevitable “Sorry, you’re on mute” during pre-Christmas Teams calls will appreciate the noise-cancelling microphones delivering clear-as-day conversations. No more background dog barking, kids screaming or someone testing the blender mid-meeting. Just you, sounding composed and ready (even if you’re still in your pyjamas).

Want to upgrade the vibe further? Open the JLab App and tailor everything: sound, ANC levels, touch controls – even keep your hearing safe with volume limits. Not techy? Choose from presets like Signature, Balance or Bass Boost (A.K.A. the setting for when Mariah hits that whistle tone).

Bonus features for the holiday overachievers:

• Bluetooth Multipoint lets you connect to two devices at once – perfect for toggling between your laptop Christmas playlist and an urgent FaceTime from Mum asking if “we need more prawns”.
• Wireless Share Mode lets a second Lux user stream the same audio, ideal for partner syncing during last-minute present wrapping.
• Google Fast Pair and Find My Device ensure you’ll never misplace them between the tinsel and baubles.
• Foldable rotating earcups make them suitcase and handbag-friendly – the ultimate “just in case I need to escape to a quiet corner” tool.

In the lead-up to Christmas, we’re all juggling deadlines, family dynamics and the passive-aggressive “who’s bringing the pavlova” messages. The JBuds Lux ANC headphones turn that chaos into your own private festive sanctuary. Think of them as portable Christmas spirit – without the hangover.

They don’t just sound good. They feel good. They look good. And they give you unapologetic permission to listen to festive bangers for four days straight – with absolutely zero raised eyebrows.

Which, if you ask me, makes them the most supportive gift you’ll receive this season. (Even if you bought them for yourself.)

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m on hour 62 of Mariah. And I regret nothing. Because when it comes to long life headphones, the JBuds Lux ANC Over-Ear Headphones really are all I want to Christmas.

The post These Long Life Headphones Let Me Listen to Mariah Carey’s Christmas Album For Four Days Straight .. And I Don’t Feel Judged first appeared on Women Love Tech.

Flinders University Has Stranger Things Happen

As fans and I prepare to binge the new season of Stranger Things, Season 5. The Flinders University is flipping the script, incorporating the cult Netflix phenomenon into its teaching curriculum.

Stranger Things comes to Flinders University!

In a global first, Flinders University has integrated the series into its Diploma in Digital Content Creation, providing students with hands-on experience in storytelling, production and cross-platform strategy. 

Why now? With Stranger Things Season 5 set to release on November 27 and set to overtake global conversation, this initiative taps into a cultural moment to teach future creators how to craft content that resonates with audiences worldwide. 

What does this mean for students?

Students will explore digital storytelling, production, and strategy through the Stranger Things’ signature themes: suspense, nostalgia, and innovation.

“They say universities should follow tradition. We say they should lead culture,” says Lecturer in Communication and Media Dr Lisa Harrison, at Flinders University.

From decoding viral fan theories to analysing the show’s retro aesthetic and cross-platform marketing.

The course dives into what makes Stranger Things a global storytelling phenomenon and how to create content that resonates.

“Stranger Things isn’t just entertainment; it’s a cultural connector.

“Our students will learn to create content that taps into those cultural veins.

“It’s about being authentic to youth voice while mastering the tools and techniques that make content meaningful and memorable.”

It’s a bold move that blends binge-worthy entertainment with future-focused education, proving universities can lead culture, not just follow tradition.

Graduates of Flinders University

Graduates of Flinders University walk away with a portfolio that displays their ability to craft compelling digital content, build audiences, and tell stories that resonate across platforms.

Getting into entertainment, marketing, media or the public sector, they’ll have the skills to thrive in the creator economy of tomorrow.

When Season 4 premiered, it became Netflix’s most-viewed English-language TV season of all time. With Season 5 expected to send fans into another frenzy,

Flinders University is tapping into this shared cultural moment to offer a learning experience that’s both academically rigorous and socially resonant for everybody.

The global impact of Stranger Things is undeniable.

“If millions are engaging with a show like Stranger Things, we see an opportunity to explore how and why that content connects and how students can apply those insights to their own creative work,” adds Lecturer of Communication & Media, Dr Harrison.

Flinders University

Its initiative is part of a new Flinders University brand campaign, the idea that universities should lead culture, not just follow tradition. By incorporating Stranger Things into the curriculum, Flinders is demonstrating that higher education can be just as relevant as it is rigorous and rad.

Marking this radical step forward, Flinders welcomes members of the public to campus for an immersive recreation of Joyce Byers’ iconic ‘Christmas Lights’ living room from Season 1 of the series.

Starting on Thursday, 27th Nov – Tuesday, 23rd Dec, at Flinders University, Festival Tower, Station Road, Adelaide 5000 SA. On Monday – Friday, 7:00 am – 6:00 pm, join students and the public in this immersive experience with Dr Lisa Harrison

Applications for the online Diploma in Digital Content Creation, now featuring Stranger Things, are now open. For more information and to apply, visit the Flinders University website: https://www.flinders.edu.au/ 

The post Stranger Things Hits Flinders University: A New Era of Pop-Culture first appeared on Women Love Tech.

It’s officially Black Friday. One of the biggest shopping moment ofs the year. And, while you’re scrolling for savings, scammers are scrolling for you. New figures released just as sales go live reveal that cyber-enabled retail scams are accelerating at an alarming rate. In the past year alone, Australians lost almost $40 million to buying and selling scams. And now, with AI supercharging fraud tactics and peak season shopping volumes spiking, experts warn we’re heading into the most dangerous discount season yet.

According to Adyen’s 2025 Retail Report, fraud losses across Australia have nearly doubled year-on-year, with shoppers losing an average of $1,700 each. That’s not just a blown shopping budget – that’s a weekend getaway, a new laptop, or your entire festive gifting fund gone. And it’s not just young, unsuspecting browsers at risk. Baby boomers experienced a staggering 332% spike in fraud losses, making them the most heavily targeted demographic. Meanwhile, scammers are using AI to make their tricks harder to detect – ditching dodgy spelling and weird phrasing for messages that read like legitimate brand communication. The result? Consumers are falling for it faster. And retailers are struggling to keep up.

The new wave of Black Friday scams

The pressure is on for retailers too. More than a quarter of Australian businesses report losing over $1.3 million to fraud in the past 12 months. And nearly one in three (31%) have already seen fraud attempts increase during peak shopping periods like Black Friday and Christmas. “During peak season, scams are becoming faster, harder to spot, and easier to believe,” explains Hayley Fisher, Country Manager ANZ at Adyen. As shoppers race for bargains and businesses try to keep up with increased demand, the window for catching fraud gets tighter. In short: we’re shopping quicker. Scammers are scamming smarter.

AI is evolving – and so are the scammers

Gone are the days of the ‘Nigerian prince’ email. Today’s scams are AI-authored, convincingly crafted, and sent en masse. They can mimic retailer language, replicate checkout screens, and even generate chatbot-style responses to keep victims engaged longer. As Fisher warns, “AI-generated scams are becoming more scalable, more convincing, and significantly harder to detect.” And the stats back her up: 29% of retailers plan to invest in AI-powered fraud prevention, while nearly one-third expect fraud to rise further across Black Friday and Christmas. Traditional fraud controls often slow the checkout process – leading to abandoned carts – so retailers are looking to tools that stop fraud without adding friction. Solutions like Adyen Uplift use AI to detect unusual activity in real time, allowing genuine customers to breeze through payment while blocking fraudsters silently in the background. “In the past, you’d have extra verification steps that frustrated shoppers,” Fisher says. “Today, retailers can fight AI with AI – keeping transactions seamless and secure.” A multi-layered approach that factors in purchase history, loyalty data and online behaviour can also help retailers catch suspicious activity before it hits their bottom line.

What to watch for while shopping this Black Friday

Before you click Add to Cart, keep these quick checks in mind: be wary of deals that feel too good to be true, look for strange URLs or layouts that don’t quite match a retailer’s usual branding, never pay via direct bank transfer, and double-check brand communication via their verified website or app. Avoid clicking unexpected links in emails or texts – even if they appear legitimate. And if you’re helping older family members shop online this weekend, share this information with them. With baby boomers now the most at-risk group, a two-minute chat could save them thousands.

The bottom line?

This year, Black Friday savings could cost you more than you bargained for. With $1,700 lost per Australian and scammers using AI to outsmart even the savviest shoppers, the safest sale strategy is simple: stay sceptical, shop slowly, and if something feels off, walk away – no matter how good the deal looks. Missing a discount is annoying. Falling victim to Black Friday scams? That’s extremely expensive.

The post Black Friday Scams – Why Your “Bargain” Could Cost You $1,700 first appeared on Women Love Tech.

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