Kerre Woodham: Is it better to ban smartphones or police social media?
About this episode
The episode discusses the implications of banning smartphones for minors and the debate surrounding social media regulation.
The ACT Party's not really a “ban” sort of a party. I've always thought they supported the idea of letting people go to hell in their own way. If you want to make your own decisions, fill your boots – if they're bad ones, live with the consequences. And perhaps they do still support the idea of adults going to hell in their own way, but not when it comes to kids. Leader David Seymour did not support the National Party ban getting kids off social media. They've said that's a dumb idea, there's no way you can police the internet. But what David Seymour has proposed is a total ban on smartphones for under 16-year-olds. He says Parliament could prohibit the purchase, possession, and supply of smartphones in much the same way we prohibit young people from purchasing alcohol and tobacco, and we prohibit adults from supplying minors with these substances. He's putting smartphones in the same category as tobacco and alcohol. He says teenagers are perfectly able, in his world, to have dumb phones, but given the known link between smartphones and the social media apps you can access on them and anxiety, depression, and self-harm, he says we should consider a smartphone yet…
People in this episode
Host: Kerre Woodham
Topics covered
- smartphone ban
- social media
- youth policy
- mental health
- ACT Party
- National Party
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: ACT Party, National Party
Products: smartphones, dumb phones, alcohol, tobacco
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