👁️ Who Can See What You Bought?
Every payment leaves a trail. The trail says a lot.
🔥 Warm Up — 2 minutes
Show them a made-up list of ten things somebody bought in a week. Ask: “What kind of person is this? How old? What do they like?”
“You just worked out a lot about someone you have never met. From a shopping list.”
🤖 The Activity — 15 minutes
Your child writes a pretend week of purchases for an invented character — nothing real, nothing about your family.
Swap. Each of you guesses about the other’s character from the list alone. Age, mood, plans, worries.
Then ask: “Who should be allowed to read this list?” Sort it together — the bank · the shop · an advert company · a school · a stranger · a parent.
🧩 The Twist — 5 minutes
Ask what the advert company would do with it. Then ask whether the person would know.
That is why rules exist about asking permission first, telling people what you will use it for, and not quietly using it for something else later.
Privacy Badge
Learned that a spending list describes a person
Parent Notes — tap to expand
▼That transaction data is personal data, that inference from ordinary records is powerful, and that consent and purpose limits exist for a reason.
- What is the most private thing on that list?
- Should a shop be allowed to sell the list?
- Would you want somebody to ask you first?
Children are often more comfortable sharing than adults expect. The aim is not to frighten them — it is to make the trail visible so the choice becomes a choice.
Use an invented character only. Real family spending is private from siblings and friends too, and this session can otherwise become something repeated at school.