PR queen Roxy Jacenko joined The Project tonight to discuss children’s safety online and as always she didn’t hold back.
The Project returned after a break with a fresh new line-up featuring Sarah Harris, Hamish Macdonald, Rachel Corbett and Michael Hing, and Jacenko came on to share her insights.
Jacenko famously created an Instagram account for her daughter Pixie, 11, that has amassed more than 121,000 followers. The account, alongside Pixie’s business ventures, has been so successful that the primary school student can retire at 15 and owns a Mercedes Benz.
Jacenko recently went viral for sharing her daughter Pixie’s Christmas wish list online that included $9000 Goyard handbag and Yeezy trainers that fetch around $600.
Pixie’s huge online fame became a talking point on The Project during a discussion about children’s safety online.
According to the National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds, a child born today will have 72 million pieces of personal data stored somewhere online by the age of 13.
Hollands explained on The Project that data is created without most of us noticing.
“We are sharing what we think is just with friends and family, but it (data) is often used in ways we don’t even know, and it stays there forever. We need the government to bring in legislation that requires online businesses to stop using children’s data for profits,” she said.
Jacenko explained that being online was just normal for children now and she was happy for Pixie’s huge fame “within reason”.
“We are in a digital World now, and everyone’s fast to critique parenting on what you do or don’t do it,” she said.
“All of her (Pixie’s) friends are on Instagram, I’m happy for her to do it within reason,” she said. “I take on board the dangers involved, and I’m mindful she doesn’t cross the line in terms of what she puts out there.”
Jacenko also insisted that Pixie was a willing participant in her social media empire.
“I’ve been very collaborative with her,” she said.
“An 11-year-old has opinions far stronger than a 42-year-old. I’m happy for her to have input. If she doesn’t like a picture, we don’t put it on there.”
Co-host Rachel Corbett asked Jacenko if she regretted launching Pixie online so young.
“If you were starting things from scratch now, do you think you’d make the same decision and post Pixie so much online?”
Jacenko laughed and said: “Rach, you know what I’m like!”
“Of course, you would! Dumb question, next!” Corbett joked.
Jacenko maintained she had no regrets.
“For me, we’ve built a business out of it. It is a business for us. As long as you are smart about it, it isn’t such a big thing.”
In response, Sarah Harris, who has two young boys joked, “I’ve gotta get my boys to work, stat!”
Originally published at www.news.com.au