WHO WE ARE
About the Be In Touch team
WHERE WE CAME FROM
How We Started
As a mother of two Kate experienced first hand the need for taking action to educate, connect and protect her family as they gained more and more access to the digital world. After sitting through a few very scary talks on the subject, but not finding any practical advice, she set out to bring together tips and resources for parents like her that needed help.
Along the way she met Josh, an educator with a passion for digital wellness born out of his need to repair his own poor relationship with digital media. Kate arranged for Josh to present a series of talks and workshops in children’s school, and following the talks success Kate and Josh decided to formalise their partnership and launched Be in Touch.
OUR PATH
Where Are We Going
We love technology AND our children but sometimes we wish they didn’t go quite so well together. Like you, we are trying to figure out how to balance our children’s tech world with their health, safety and sanity – and ours!
Family Digital Wellness can feel overwhelming, so we are sharing as we go – simple, practical solutions to help you on this journey.
We get parents and children thinking and talking about the device use challenges they have, and how they can improve their daily digital habits. We run inspiring, life-changing face-to-face or online learning experiences for children, parents and teachers. Our easy and practical solutions and products will make sure you and your children are educated, connected and protected in the digital world.
We are all about simplifying the complicated world of digital wellness with practical tips, resources and products. To keep offering solutions that our parents and children really need, our work is driven by the search enquiries we receive every day.
WHO WE ARE
MOTHER | THINKER | VISIONARY | FOUNDER
Kate
From an interest in marine biology which broadened to “swimming with sharks” in a corporate environment as an environmental lawyer, Kate has always got involved in ventures that channel her passion for motivating others and making a difference. She has a husband who views Whatsapp as the pinnacle of social media, and so, as an almost 50-year-old mum of two tweens, keenly felt the pressure to better understand the digital world and how to manage its impact on her kids.
The concept of Be In Touch was born, out of the realisation that the intel she was gathering was needed by other like-minded parents, also doing their best to try and keep afloat in the modern age of parenting.
FATHER | EDUCATOR | LUMINARY |
FOUNDER
Josh
Having completed a degree in psychology, philosophy, and coaching, Josh spent his twenties travelling the world working as a model, actor and later a stuntman.
He has seen first-hand the illusion of the ‘entertainment engine’ and decided to pursue purpose over profit. His broad scope of experience from working in organisational development to holding workshops for teens and tweens, means he always begins with the end in mind, and brings humour and realism to every interaction with adults and children.
5 STAR REVIEWS
What our customer say about us
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Be in Touch is an absolute invaluable initiative and resource for parents and their children, and even for grandparents like myself, as we navigate this ever growing digital landscape. The digital connected world has such incredible value, but also many challenges, as not only we are being exposed to very powerful negative agendas over the web, but also the danger of devices being the new addiction. Josh and team, thanks so much for coming form a deep values-based motivation to support us in this way. Tertia Smit
December 17, 2020 - deeply thoughtful ideas to help parents with meaningful control over the acess to social media for their children. TimRobin Farina
December 10, 2020 - First time to attend Be in Touch webinar on digital parenting, as a father of an 8- and 5-years old boys I was not really aware of how dangerously a digital world without control can affect my kids. I have now understood that I need to communicate with them and have agreement with gaming, as to how long and what games are safer for them. screen time is very important. I will strongly recommend any parent to follow this page for their children digital well-being. Sam Junior Mbuyi
March 10, 2022 - An amazing organization made up of an amazing team! Extremely proud to be associated with BIT! Russell Pengelly
December 14, 2020 - Simple, insightful - what all busy parents need Rmd Gammatec
December 10, 2020 - Very nice webinar last night about creating a safer digital environment for our children online. Annabel Rautenbach
March 11, 2022 - Real, practical guidance that can save us a lot of damage and drama. A stitch in time n all. Thanks Josh! Linda Wilson
December 14, 2020 - Quick, informative and professional webinars! A must for all parents. Nisché Strong
April 6, 2022 - I just attended a Cyber bullying webinar Josh did - just brilliant Lindy Halgreen
January 26, 2022 - Josh and his team bring significant experience, best practice and the latest tech to the digital wellness space. Our learnings through Be In Touch really emphasize the dire need for all parents to step into a space or knowing how to manage your child’s online journey always supporting healthy usage. I highly recommend working with Josh Misha Teasdale
December 14, 2020
Worried about your kid having secret social media accounts on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat? 👀
Bark can help by alerting you when they sign up for a new account! You'll also get conversation tips, to help keep you connected with your kids on this digital learning curve!
Awesome, right? Tap the link in our bio to get a FREE 7-day trial and 10% off for life 🙌
🧐Downloaded the NewProfilePic app to create your avatar?
Cyber security experts are warning against using this Russian app due to the data it acquires. By agreeing to download the app, users are willing to share their location, details about the device they are using as well as other photographs on their social media feeds.
#beintheknow #betechsavvy #beintouch
WHAT a deal for a few lucky families 😁
@gryphonsocial is offering an amazing R400 discount to Be in Touch parents - only 59 routers available so grab yours quick today!
Use the code bit400 on the link in our bio to get your discount.
The Gryphon router and app can manage internet access across ALL devices (smart TV's, gaming consoles, tablets and phones), allowing parents to -
• Set bedtimes and homework times
• Limit social media and online games
• Set content filtering with crowd ranking
• View browsing history
• Enforce safe search on YouTube
• Block / unblock websites
• Suspend internet access.
#saferandsanerkids #beassured #becalm #beintouch
Whilst the teachers all breathed a sigh of relief!🤣
Credit: @jerrykcartoons
#modernteaching #modernparenting #beintouch
We're all learning as we go!
#betheparent #bethere #beintouch
We were honoured to be asked to attend the stakeholder meeting organised by the Children’s Rights Unit at the Centre for Human Rights in collaboration with the Raoul Wallenberg Institute, Nairobi, Kenya office.
A great conversation was sparked around the online trends, challenges and dilemmas that we've been gathering and identifying in our work with grade 4 to 11 learners.
These align strongly with the report on Children’s Right to Privacy in the Digital Sphere in the African Region, launched at the event, which highlights these key needs:
- Defined regulations that ensure the protection of children in the context of social media use.
- Addressing violations of children’s rights within the digital space, such as cyber bullying, online sexual abuse and exploitation, and recruitment into harmful groups.
- Protection of children’s privacy, including protection of children’s data, created content, as well as providing tools and guidance to parents, caregivers and other duty bearers on appropriate supervision of children’s use of social media.
#SaveTheChildren #bethesafetynet #bethechange
Cool dads are in touch with their kids - online and offline!
#onlineparenting #onlineoffline #beintouch
Online parenting is a hugely important part of being a modern parent, and here at Be in Touch we’re all about finding practical ways to make this simpler, clearer and easier for both parents and kids. We reckon that parental controls are an essential part of today’s parenting toolkit.
Smart devices need smart solutions, and the Gryphon router is one of our tried, tested and highly recommended parental control options. By joining this webinar with @gryphonsocial you’ll get great insights into what Gryphon can do to help you protect your family as they go online.
Register free, link in bio or beintouch.org za/webinars
The Gryphon router can manage internet access across ALL devices, smart TV's, gaming consoles, tablets and phones within the Gryphon Connect App, allowing you to -
• Set bedtimes and homework times
• Limit social media and online games
• Content filtering with crowd ranking
• View browsing history
• Enforce safe search on YouTube
• Block / unblock websites anywhere
• Suspend internet access.
In our Wednesday webinar this week, we're talking settings with our tech partner @dialanerdza
Smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, apps and games - we've got them covered!
*Click link in bio to join us*
We'll see you there! 🤗
#beintheknow #betechsavvy #beintouch
If it isn't on social media did it really happen? 😜
#reallife #bealive #beintouch
Credit: @jerrykcartoons
YouTube - did you know...
😍It was originally designed to be a dating site?
🤓 It's the second most popular search engine after Google?
Back by popular request: everything parents need to know about the world's most popular online platform 😄
Join us on Wed 6th April at noon (SAST) for 30 mins of great insights into how you can help make your child's online life safer and saner!
👉Register free here or link in bio
We'll see you there!
Kate & Josh 😎🤩
The victims of capping can include anyone performing a sexual act on camera. The recording might be created:
• To add to an individual’s collection of material they find erotic,
• To share with others, or
• To “sextort” the victim.
Children who have been groomed by a predator into performing sexual acts on camera are especially vulnerable to this. These children suffer the trauma of the initial abuse, and the secondary trauma of knowing these images exists and might be shared with others. Unless they have someone to who they can talk, a vicious cycle is created where the perpetrator threatens to send these images to the friends, family or school of the victim unless they share further sexual content or transfer money to them.
Our mantra to parents? Keep checking in and checking up on your kids. And use parental controls like Bark or Gryphon to keep you alerted!
Use the link in bio to check them out!
#beintouch #beconnected #bethesafetynet
Seems like kids these days come with built-in tech intuition!
Credit: @jerrykcartoons
#betechsavvy #beintouch
Does your child know all their online friends and followers?
In our parental controls webinar today, 80% of the parents said either “No” or “I don’t know”.
👉What would your answer be?
#beconnected #beintouch
Worried about what your kids are actually doing on their devices?
Finding it hard to keep up with them?
Parental controls are a vital part of the modern parenting toolkit!
Join us together with our tech partner, @dialanerdza to explore the various options available to help you manage the "what, when, and how much" of screen time - and how they can help you stay connected to your t(w)een as they go and live online.
Register free with link in bio.
#beconnected #bethesafetynet #beintouch
big part of what we do, is finding out what’s really going on online. The feedback from more than 1500 Grade 4 to Grade 11 learners during 2021 paints a picture best described in these words: “Parents, your kids need you!” Not sure where to start?
👉Join one of our free webinars
👉Get your school to chat to us about a bespoke webinar
👉Check out all the resources, books, and gadgets we have, to make online parenting easier
👉Install parental controls to be alerted to what your child is struggling with
👉Check in and check up. A lot.
#beintouch
Hey, kiddo - did we say get off your screen? Um... want to use ours?! 😂
#onlineparenting
Credit: @jerrykcartoons
What’s the buzz about the new parental controls for Instagram? 🙄
Basically, they will let parents see how much time their teens spend on Instagram and set limits. Parents will also be able to view what accounts their teens follow, as well as who follows them. For now, Instagram says teens themselves will need to initiate the supervision feature from its app on mobile devices, but in June, it’s rolling out the ability for parents and guardians to start the process (although teens will still need to grant permission).
But does this really do anything to make our teens safer and saner online? It’s a NOPE from us!
Parents will be none the wiser about what their teens look at, who contacts them or what they discuss via direct message. And because the controls are applied on a per-account basis, they don’t prevent teens from having secret accounts, known as “finstas."
What do parents really want?
👉Regulated “real age” rating on app stores (Common Sense Media recommends 15+ for Instagram)
👉Content filtering and proper age restrictions, including the Tinder / Instagram
👉The ability to curate what is recommended to teens in sections of the app like Search, Explore, Hashtags and Suggested Accounts
👉Default privacy settings
👉Better block and report processes.
Most of all, we want the heavy burden of protecting our kids to shift from our shoulders, to those of the big tech companies!
#savethekids #betheprotector #beintouch
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