Workshop Info
Want to weigh in on pressing questions like:
- 📱 Should young people have smartphones?
- 🚫 Is an outright ban achievable?
- 🛟 What can we do to make the internet safer for our young people?
💬 If you think you have any answers or thoughts, come to the Lounge (space permitting) and discuss them with a volunteer from the NSPCC Online Safety Advisory Group!
The drop in is going to be informal, and a safe space to discuss what you think should be done.
About me: Hi! I’m Leo, and I’m on the NSPCC Online Safety Youth Advisory Group, and we’re working at the moment to help create advice and materials for government & industry on how to make sure the web is safe for kids!
Summary of conversation
- What are the positives of children having smartphones?
- Safety and Communication: Essential for emergencies, sharing locations, and contacting friends/family.
- ”Essential for contacting friends/family and sharing locations.”
- Independence and Knowledge: Access to a wealth of information and entertainment.
- ”Provides access to all the knowledge one could ever want.”
- Social Acceptance: Helps fit in with peers and avoid bullying.
- ”Prevents bullying and social isolation by fitting in with peers.”
- What are the negatives of children having smartphones?
- Addiction and Health: Risk of addiction and reduced spatial awareness.
- ”Addicted to phones, lose your spatial awareness.”
- Vulnerability: Potential for theft and exposure to harmful information.
- ”Get robbed, risk of exposure to misleading or harmful information.”
- Mental Skills: Dependence on instant searches can hinder memory and attention span.
- ”Reliance on instant search and find on the web makes them rely on a computer for all their needs.”
- If you were a child, would you want a smartphone?
- Mixed Opinions: Some would find it useful, others believe in traditional development.
- ”Probably. Absolutely."
- "No. We grew up without them and our brain development was much better.”
- If a child was in danger, would having a smartphone make them safer?
- Divided Views: Some see benefits if used responsibly, others see no added advantage over basic phones.
- ”It could if the child has been taught to use the device responsibly."
- "No, there is literally no circumstance I can think of where a smartphone would be more helpful.”
- Do you think smartphones are addictive?
- General Agreement: Most agree smartphones can be addictive, particularly for certain personality types.
- ”Yes!! Help you with situations – installing apps that make it more addictive."
- "They’re just as addictive as books or food or fast cars.”
- Should we limit children’s usage rather than ban?
- Feasibility Issues: Many see limits as difficult to enforce, suggesting a focus on parental control and education.
- ”Hard to police – don’t think it’s possible."
- "Parents should also teach kids about it.”
- What might some of the risks be of banning smartphones for young people?
- Social Division and Safety: Could create social hierarchy and limit emergency communication.
- ”Creates social division, increases anxiety."
- "Need to call 999, limits freedom.”
- Could more protections be embedded on smartphones to make them safer for young people? What could these be?
- Technological and Educational Solutions: AI-powered age verification and content analysis, combined with education.
- ”AI-powered age verification might be effective."
- "Most things in life are made safer through education and human support.”
- How can we better support young people to access the benefits of the online world?
- Educational Tools: Positive promotion of safe content and dedicated educational devices.
- ”Digital kite marks, digital ‘scores on the doors’ might help."
- "Dedicated digital device that isn’t capable of connecting to the wider internet.”
- How would a ban on smartphones be operationalised/enforced?
- Enforcement Challenges: Likely ineffective, with suggestions for software regulation over outright bans.
- ”Would have to fine parents. Gov would have to issue brick phones."
- "Perhaps any ‘ban’ should be enforced by the software of popular platforms.”
- What would be the impact on young people’s mental health?
- Uncertain Effects: Potential for both positive and negative outcomes.
- ”Too many variables. For a lot of kids, it would mean not being able to reach out to online support.”
- What would be the impact on educational opportunities?
- Significant Impact: Particularly on those without alternative access to technology.
- ”The impact would be enormous. It’s probably not realistic any more."
- "Those with the financial means would move onto laptops and PCs, those without would be left behind.”
- Impact on their relationships with friends?
- Mixed Impact: Some see strengthening of friendships, others predict increased isolation.
- ”For many, it would mean even more isolation and loneliness."
- "It would strengthen them. Nurseries foster some of the best child friendships at the moment as they don’t have any smartphones.”
- How would a ban on smartphones impact your daily life?
- Age-Dependent Impact: Greater impact on older children and those who rely on smartphones for safety.
- ”12 yr old not much, 17 yr old massively."
- "I let my son range around the city because he has a smartphone – I know I can see where he is.”
- Other comments:
- Surveillance Concerns: Potential negative consequences of increased surveillance justified by child safety.
- ”UK tends to exploit ‘child safety’ to introduce more surveillance measures."
- "Society needs more human engagement, care, and genuine interest in a child’s healthy development.”
Want to still weigh in? Post on Mastodon/Twitter with the #EMFOnlineSafety, and tag me in!