As Australia becomes the first country to ban social media for those under 16, Kiwi rangatahi reflect on what a similar ban would mean for them. Cushla Norman reports.
A recent study of more than 1000 Kiwi teenagers and caregivers found, 90% of teens use social media, with 62% starting between the ages of 10 and 13.
Teen social media 'not a choice' – watch this story on TVNZ+
Twenty-two percent of the teens in the study met the criteria for problematic social media use, meaning they displayed addictive-like behaviours.
‘I do wish I had more self-control’
Shubhanyu, now 14, has had social media since he was 12. He says it’s so easy to use, he finds himself gravitating towards it in his downtime or when he’s bored.
“It doesn't take much. You just take out your phone, open one app, and you begin to scroll. I do wish I had more self control over my habits.”
But he doesn’t think social media is inherently bad. “I get really annoyed when people say that, because there are many good things about it.”
The best thing about social media is that it removes barriers, he says, aowing people to engage in art, literature and music that might otherwise cost money to access.
“I see all sorts of young people, especially posting stuff they're passionate about... they're showing these beautiful paintings they've created or reading poetry.”
He says one of the worst things about social media is the “grifters, influencers and self-help gurus” spreading misinformation.
“Only on social media would you see influencers saying that if you're 16 years old and not earning about $10,000 every day, you've failed in life. It normalises all sorts of toxic standards.”
But he’s not in favour of a blanket ban.
“I'm not sure if it will play out that well, and I'm not sure if we're going to be losing the things which we should be losing instead of the things which are actually good about social media.”
‘It’s the way we talk to each other’
Fourteen-year-old Rae has has social media since the age of 12.
She said having social media for people her age is not really a choice, but often an expectation.
“It's the way that we talk to each other, communicate with each other, and it's really important part of how we stay connected."
As a member of the rainbow community, she said it’s helped her interact with others like her. “It's helped me connect with other people who are minority or marginalised, like myself, and that's given me a really good, safe space to achieve my feelings.”
She describes the content on social media as real mixed bag. “You will see things that you don't want to see.”
But she says it's important for young people to learn to cope with that through support and safety tactics. “It's a really important responsibility for parents and schools to cultivate that safety.”
She’s not in favour of a ban. “When we ban social media, we're encouraging people who are under 16 to access it secretly, and we aren't cultivating safety and transparency.”
‘They just keep scrolling for ages’
Molly is 11 and uses Kids Messenger, YouTube and Roblox on a tablet.
She enjoys playing Roblox with her cousins and connecting with friends on messenger.
“It makes me happy, but I would prefer to, like, see them in person.”
She thinks most young people enjoy social media but believes its “quite addictive” too. “They're scrolling on reels, like most time, they can't really stop. They just keep scrolling on for ages.”
She says social media can be good for education, but there are downsides. “Some people can, like, post things that people like shouldn't watch for their age.”
She thinks a ban is a good idea, boosting kids' safety and encouraging them to spend more time outdoors and "focus on more important stuff than social media.”
Teen social media 'not a choice' – watch this story on TVNZ+
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