Jason Miles: NZ Principals Federation President on David Seymour's idea to ban under-16s from having smartphones
About this episode
Jason Miles discusses the implications of David Seymour's proposal to limit smartphone access for under-16s.
Should we be looking at banning youth from owning smartphones instead of banning them from social media? ACT Leader David Seymour has suggested that under-16s should be limited to “dumbphones” that can’t access the internet, but can text and call. While not suggesting it as official policy yet, he says social media has caused anxiety, depression, self-harm, poor body image, loneliness, and declining life satisfaction. President of the New Zealand Principals' Federation, Jason Miles told Kerre Woodham he would recommend parents give their kids a dumb phone – the practical elements are appealing. However, he says, the pressure that comes with the expanding online world will always be there now, and it should be on the social media companies to keep kids safe. Miles asks why social media companies should be driving how society acts, telling Woodham that it’s surely something our government, parents, and educators should be doing. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
People in this episode
Host: Kerre Woodham
Guest: Jason Miles
Topics covered
- smartphone ban
- youth technology
- mental health
- social media impact
- parenting
- education policy
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: New Zealand Principals Federation, ACT, social media companies, government, parents, educators
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