All the Likes Promotes Online Safety

Online safety is a priority, we will soon have one of the first social media bans in the world for under 16s. Exclusion is one approach to safety online, you can also teach kids strategies they can go to if they encounter online nasties.

All the Likes is a card game, intentionally not digital, which is 3 games in one. The main game is a game of snap with 2 twists. First, the snap cards display cute designs illustrating safety tips. The second is the addition of fun action cards which spice up the game as they’re unrelated to online safety and require the players to think and act quickly. You can also use the cards to play memory games (matching pairs) or for the classic card game “spoons”. Each snap card can be used as a conversation starter.

“I have noticed that it’s the younger kids (6-8 year-old) who start the conversation by asking questions about the cards - it really makes it so much easier for the parents,” says creator Sandrine Alexandre-Hughes.

One 7-year-old girl shared a story at a workshop around All the Likes in a toy shop. One card prompted her to say she had been contacted, on a famous game platform, by a stranger who asked her to send him an inappropriate photo. She messaged him back telling him he was a “sicko” and went to tell her dad who switched off the messaging feature.

“Sharing her story came naturally as she played All the Likes. That day she was able to pass on spontaneously, and with a big grin, a strong message of empowerment to the other kids playing around the table. I can tell you they looked at her in awe - and so did I,” says Allexandre-Hughes.

“When I found out about the dangers children can face online, I thought that to empower parents and kids, a card game was the obvious solution. I see playing as the best way to spark conversations while helping parents overcome their anxiety and avoid the feeling of being lectured at the kids’ end. The solution also needed to be fun and practical. A card game was just perfect for that. The name of the game had to resonate with the online world and what many obsess with online - or have heard of even if they’re not online yet - hence All the Likes.

“I created the game myself. I researched the main dangers kids are exposed to online - it turns out there are many (bullying, grooming, inappropriate content, being contacted by strangers, how addictive screens and apps are etc.). I am game enthusiast, so it was very enjoyable creating one. I had a clear idea of what the cards would look like so when the time came to collaborate with a designer, things went smoothly.”

Creating a card game and not an online platform was a conscious decision. First, children, like adults, already spend too much time online. Second, Alexandre-Hughes wanted a medium which connects generations and fosters in-person conversations.

“I think that a digital format would be drowned in the sea of digital resources. Having the game on your shelves is a visual reminder to play and chat regularly about online safety - which, all experts agree, must be an ongoing dialogue, not a one off.”

The responsibility of educating kids about online safety and wellbeing as being both the schools’ and the parents’. The online world and screens are everywhere and having the game in both homes and schools is a reminder that safety skills are not limited to one setting.

Teachers, librarians, and parents are buying the game and the feedback has been positive.

“When I think of successes, I think of particular stories which families who play All the Likes have shared with me. For example, when distressing war videos were circulating online a little while ago, parents were told to keep an eye out and keep the kids off certain apps and platforms so they would not be exposed to these videos. A mum told me that she had used All the Likes to start that conversation. She was relieved to have a medium to lean on.”