Northern Ireland's Assembly Debates Social Media's Toxic Impact on Young People

Strategic Insights -

The Assembly in Northern Ireland recently debated the negative impact of social media and smartphones on young people. SDLP MLA Cara Hunter introduced a motion calling for cross-departmental working to tackle online harms, including a ban on smartphones in school and additional training for teachers on online safety. The motion emphasized the rising tide of anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and disrupted sleep among teenagers, often linked to excessive mobile phone usage and cyberbullying.

Key Takeaways:

  • The SDLP's motion proposed a ban on smartphones in school and additional training for teachers on online safety to tackle the negative impact of social media and smartphones on young people.
  • MLA Cara Hunter highlighted the dramatic increase in teenage girls self-harming in the US since Instagram's existence and the link between virtual communities of toxic trolls and suicide in the UK.
  • In Norway, children under 15 were banned from social media, while in the UK, a quarter of children under seven had a phone, leading SDLP MLA Hunter to question the lack of help with phone addiction in Northern Ireland.
  • Education Minister Paul Givan's pilot scheme to limit mobile phone use in schools was praised, but Sinn Fein MLA Danny Baker questioned the spending of PS250,000 on the pilot when the Executive was cash-strapped.
  • Research showed that 66% of 16-18 year olds thought smartphones were harmful, and 94% of parents agreed, with girls who used social media for six hours a day having a 38% predilection to suffering from depression or low self-esteem.
  • Other countries, such as France, Italy, and parts of Australia, have introduced bans or restrictions on smartphones in schools, leading to improved behavior, better academic performance, and increased pupil wellbeing.

Statistics:

  • 66% of 16-18 year olds in Northern Ireland thought smartphones were harmful.
  • 94% of parents in Northern Ireland agreed that smartphones were harmful for their children.
  • Girls with six hours a day social media usage had a 38% predilection to suffering from depression or low self-esteem.
  • PS250,000 was spent on the Education Minister's pilot scheme to limit mobile phone use in schools.
  • PS220,000 was spent on the project involving nine schools.

Sources:

  • News Analysis, Suzanne Breen, The Assembly can debate issues of questionable relevance to people's lives, but the SDLP's motion on tackling the negative impact of social media and smartphones on young people wasn't one of them. (No date)
  • Research cited by DUP MLA Peter Martin, showing that 66% of 16-18 year olds thought smart phones were harmful, and 94% of parents agreed.
  • Education Minister Paul Givan's statement, "We spend millions of pounds on mental health and well-being for students. This is the single biggest cause of problems."
  • Sinn Fein MLA Danny Baker's question, "If we're spending almost PS250,000 on this pilot when the Executive is so cash-strapped, is it not penny wise and pound foolish?"
  • SDLP MLA Cara Hunter's statement, "Extreme, conspiratorial, and misogynistic ideas proliferate around vast yet closed echo chambers."