Talk

Wayne Holdsworth Joins Gerard Whateley to Discuss Unplug24

Oct 2025 🇦🇺 Whateley (Gerard Whateley podcast)

Suicide and self-harm are complex and never caused by one factor alone. Problematic screen use, cyberbullying, harmful content, and online exploitation may increase risk or intensify existing distress. If someone is in immediate danger or emotional crisis in the United States, call or text 988.

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Australian sports broadcaster Gerard Whateley interviewed Wayne Holdsworth on his eponymous podcast on October 21, 2025, about the origin of SmackTalk's Unplug24 campaign, a 24-hour break from social media the charity organizes to raise awareness of sextortion and suicide risk. According to SmackTalk's own description of the episode, Holdsworth explains how his son Mac's death prompted the campaign and how participation has grown since its first run. TechKids Foundation includes this appearance as a dated example of Holdsworth's advocacy reaching a general-interest sports and current-affairs audience outside specialist youth-safety or parenting media, broadening the audience for his warning-signs message beyond outlets that cover online safety directly.

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CITATION

Whateley, Gerard (host). "Wayne Holdsworth Joins Gerard Whateley to Discuss Unplug24." Whateley podcast, Oct. 21, 2025; as promoted by SmackTalk, LinkedIn, Oct. 21, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/smacktalk_wayne-holdsworth-211025-by-whateley-activity-7386318647457259520-IdBz

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