Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Dr Keighley Perkins @perkinskeighley.bsky.social · 24m

It's been a while but I finally got to attend another Exploring the Past lecture with @learncardiff.bsky.social.

Tonight, it was all about Assassins and Templars with Dr Steve Tibble.

#history

Dr Keighley Perkins @perkinskeighley.bsky.social · 3h

TLDR (3/3):

At stake isn’t just a debate over street signs — it’s a question of linguistic coexistence:

➡️ Who decides which languages are visible in shared spaces?

➡️ How can communities honour both cultural heritage & mutual respect?

#langsky #linguistics #language #Irish #languagerights

Dr Keighley Perkins @perkinskeighley.bsky.social · 3h

TLDR (2/3):

While unionist politicians have condemned the destruction, many also argue that bilingual signage is being “imposed” in areas where residents oppose it. Others counter that minority language speakers shouldn’t need to form a majority to access their linguistic rights.

#langsky

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Dr Keighley Perkins @perkinskeighley.bsky.social · 3h

TLDR (1/3):

Campaigners like Conchúr Ó Muadaigh (Conradh na Gaeilge) say that escalating rhetoric against the Irish language has “emboldened” acts of vandalism — creating a climate where linguistic expression is politicised & public signage becomes a battleground.

#langsky #linguistics #language

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Dr Keighley Perkins @perkinskeighley.bsky.social · 3h

In Belfast, a bilingual street sign was recently attacked with an angle grinder — the Irish-language portion deliberately cut away. It’s just one of more than 300 incidents of vandalism against bilingual signage in Northern Ireland over the past five years.

🔗 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

TLDR 👇

Irish language: Street sign rhetoric 'emboldens' vandals

An Irish language campaigner condemns the use of an angle grinder to damage a bilingual street sign.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Reposted by Dr Keighley Perkins

Christian Ilbury @christianilbury.bsky.social · 8h

I gave a keynote on accent bias and social mobility at the ABI (Assoc. of British Insurers) last week. Alongside my keynote, they invited me to write a blog post on our work which you can now read below:

www.abi.org.uk/news/blog-ar...

Accent bias as a barrier to social mobility | ABI

www.abi.org.uk

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Reposted by Dr Keighley Perkins

VOX-Pol @vox-pol.bsky.social · 9h

One of the best ways to keep up-to-date with our publications, events, etc. is via our monthly newsletter. Sign-up on our website voxpol.eu.
#PleaseRS

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Dr Keighley Perkins @perkinskeighley.bsky.social · 10h

TLDR (6/6):

Parents shouldn’t feel they must choose between protection & participation. By treating online life as part of family life — something to discuss, question, & navigate together — we can empower children to use technology safely & confidently.

#DRAGON #onlinesafety #onlinesafetyact

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Dr Keighley Perkins @perkinskeighley.bsky.social · 10h

TLDR (5/6):

3. Negotiation beats restriction. Research shows that hard bans can backfire — driving secrecy, not safety. Open, ongoing dialogue helps children build digital resilience & critical awareness.

#DRAGON #onlinesafety #onlinesafetyact #onlineharms #onlineharm #safeguarding

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Dr Keighley Perkins @perkinskeighley.bsky.social · 10h

TLDR (4/6):

2. Panic helps no one. From the “radio scare” of the 1930s to TikTok today, every generation has faced media that adults fear will “corrupt” youth. Sensationalist headlines often make parents feel more anxious & powerless.

#DRAGON #onlinesafety #onlinesafetyact #onlineharms #onlineharm

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Dr Keighley Perkins @perkinskeighley.bsky.social · 10h

TLDR (3/6):

The article highlights three key takeaways:

1. Progress is real, but imperfect. Yes, children can still encounter harmful material — but platforms are making measurable changes.

#DRAGON #onlinesafety #onlinesafetyact #onlineharms #onlineharm #safeguarding #digitalsafeguarding

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Dr Keighley Perkins @perkinskeighley.bsky.social · 10h

TLDR (2/6):

While safeguards are improving — most major adult sites now use age verification or UK blocks — the story is more complex than headlines suggest.

#DRAGON #onlinesafety #onlinesafetyact #onlineharms #onlineharm #safeguarding #digitalsafeguarding

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Dr Keighley Perkins @perkinskeighley.bsky.social · 10h

TLDR (1/6):

It’s a worrying finding, especially given that the UK Online Safety Act is meant to prevent children from accessing such content. Yet it’s also a reminder that regulation alone can’t solve everything.

#DRAGON #onlinesafety #onlinesafetyact #onlineharms #onlineharm #safeguarding

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Dr Keighley Perkins @perkinskeighley.bsky.social · 10h

A new investigation has revealed that even with “restricted mode” enabled, TikTok’s protections for teens aren’t watertight — with researchers from Global Witness easily uncovering explicit pornographic content on accounts set up as 13-year-olds.

🔗 tinyurl.com/bdev8b69

TLDR 👇

#DRAGON

Should parents allow their children to go online? All the inflammatory coverage makes the decision far harder

The media have been freaking out about children’s use of technology since at least the days of radio, and it doesn’t make parenting decisions any easier.

tinyurl.com

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Dr Keighley Perkins @perkinskeighley.bsky.social · 22h

#NowReading

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Dr Keighley Perkins @perkinskeighley.bsky.social · 1d

As long as there is always a Magikarp, I'm happy.

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Dr Keighley Perkins @perkinskeighley.bsky.social · 1d

TLDR (4/4):

Now, he’s taking Dim Probs on tour across Wales, performing in village halls and community centres — reconnecting music to place, people, and language.

💬 “If you make music in Welsh,” he says, “you play where people speak Welsh.”

#langsky #linguistics #Cymraeg #Welsh #Welshlanguage

Dr Keighley Perkins @perkinskeighley.bsky.social · 1d

TLDR (3/4):

Thanks to activism, cultural pride, and legislation like the Welsh Language Act (1993), Cymraeg now sits proudly alongside English in daily life — “even the self-service checkout speaks Welsh,” Rhys jokes.

#langsky #linguistics #Cymraeg #Welsh #Welshlanguage

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Dr Keighley Perkins @perkinskeighley.bsky.social · 1d

TLDR (2/4):

He describes Welsh as “a playful language” — still being invented as a pop language, rich with creative possibility and free from the clichés of English. But it’s not just about art; it’s about visibility.

#langsky #linguistics #Cymraeg #Welsh #Welshlanguage

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Dr Keighley Perkins @perkinskeighley.bsky.social · 1d

TLDR (1/4):

From the DIY punk energy of Ffa Coffi Pawb to Mwng (still the best-selling Welsh-language album of all time), Rhys has shown that music in Cymraeg doesn’t have to translate to resonate.

#langsky #linguistics #Cymraeg #Welsh #Welshlanguage

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Dr Keighley Perkins @perkinskeighley.bsky.social · 1d

In his new Welsh-language album Dim Probs, Gruff Rhys - frontman of Super Furry Animals - celebrates the beauty, humour, and resilience of his first language.

🔗 www.theguardian.com/music/2025/o...

TLDR 👇

#langsky #linguistics #Cymraeg #Welsh #Welshlanguage

Gruff Rhys: ‘Welsh is still being invented as a pop language’

The Super Furry Animals frontman is back with his ninth solo album. Before a tour of regional village halls in Wales, he talks creating songs in his first language – and why English is the best for sw...

www.theguardian.com

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Dr Keighley Perkins @perkinskeighley.bsky.social · 1d

TLDR (4/4):

Learning also takes place through an interactive story-based activity where children help a character make safer choices in image-sharing scenarios.

#DRAGON #onlinesafety #onlineharms #childprotection #childsafeguarding #digitalsafety #digitalsafeguarding

Dr Keighley Perkins @perkinskeighley.bsky.social · 1d

TLDR (3/4):

It also includes age-appropriate examples to help students reflect on what they might face & what happens when something goes wrong.

#DRAGON #onlinesafety #onlineharms #childprotection #childsafeguarding #digitalsafety #digitalsafeguarding

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Dr Keighley Perkins @perkinskeighley.bsky.social · 1d

TLDR (2/4):

“Picture the Consequence” offers a lesson built around quizzes & discussions to explore behaviours, pressures, & consequences.

#DRAGON #onlinesafety #onlineharms #childprotection #childsafeguarding #digitalsafety #digitalsafeguarding

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Dr Keighley Perkins @perkinskeighley.bsky.social · 1d

TLDR (1/4):

Focus groups with 11–17 year-olds reveal education on this topic is often superficial or absent in schools.

Despite this, around 92% of child sexual abuse material removed comes from self-generated images — i.e. children taking & sharing images themselves.

#DRAGON #onlinesafety

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