Twisted Tales of the Internet

Written by: on February 5, 2018

Meet Kate Mullin, a teacher turned author, who uses her 20 years of experience in the education profession as inspiration for her children’s books. Kate’s latest novel, ‘Twisted Tales of the Internet,’ confronts the issue of Internet Safety and the complicated relationship today’s youth share with the worldwide web.

What better day than Internet Safety Day to share her story…

Who/what inspired you to start writing children’s novels?

Growing up, my sister Liz and I would write our own radio shows, and record them onto tape. I’ve always written short plays or poems for as long as I can remember. We would draw and write for hours, we loved creating things on paper and I guess we never grew out of it. I enjoyed reading Anne of Green Gables or any book with characters who kept diaries. I loved the idea of being able to reach others through words; writing seemed to be the best way of sharing my voice. As I got older my love of poetry grew; its impact was instant and it felt brave to say more with fewer words.

Why did you want to tackle the issue of internet safety?

I’m fascinated by the changes in technology and how they have changed our lives. Being a teacher, I wanted something to help younger teens growing up. It seemed there was not much out there in terms of online life stories to reflect our digital lives. Humans learn the most from stories, they connect with us better than being told what to do and give us broader and unique perspectives on life.

What do you think are the biggest problems the internet poses for young people today?

I think they just need to be aware of how to use technology to enhance their lives, without the pitfalls. The other is being too hooked on it, it’s easy to spend hours online. We are now fed so many online images and ideas which often don’t represent reality, so it’s important to know the difference and not start comparing ourselves to a ‘filtered’ image.

How do you think you would have responded to the internet/social media when you were a teen?

It would have been great for discovering amazing people and their stories! However, I also think I would have worried for hours over what I’d posted online, or if anyone posted images I didn’t like, or if they’d said something negative about me. I would have been sensitive about those sorts of things. This definitely impacts adversely on our young people today with many more suffering from depression as a result of being online and using social media. We need to give them the tools to deal with this.

What’s the biggest vantage point of the internet for today’s young people?

It’s an amazing resource for today’s youth. It opens up their world, like never before. It’s full of fantastic ideas! It’s great for connecting and learning, and research shows it does raise aspirations. Young people can organise and use their voices to achieve social change and to get things done. They can work on solutions to future problems together, in a worldwide arena. That’s powerful.

Do you think schools are adapting quickly enough to the evolution of technology?

It’s a challenge for everyone to keep up with all the new technologies and schools have so much keep up with. Some schools do this very well, others are catching up. It needs a driving force or industry experts and teachers who have specialised knowledge to work together. Learners in schools are very adaptable and can also lead their own learning too, bringing new inspiration into the schools. Some of the change can be driven by parents who take an interest in technology as they can encourage their child to learn about emerging trends even if the school is not.

What’s one piece of advice for the youth of today?

I’d say enjoy technology, it’s a super resource! Discover as much as you can about it, and use it for things which feel important to you. Know the rules to stay safe and stay aware, remember that if something feels wrong then it usually is.

Talk to your friends about their online experiences and share your thoughts. Use the internet to learn to become an expert in something you love. Don’t be afraid to innovate and do something different, then back it up with commitment and hard work, and you’ll be guaranteed a wonderful response!

Kate can be found on Twitter and Instagram.

Kate’s other novels include: ‘The Lost King’, ‘A Bear’s Sleepy Journal’, and ‘Pongy Stinkbelly Finds a Friend’.