“If one oversteps the bounds of moderation, the greatest pleasures cease to please.”
– Epictetus
There is, rightly, a good deal of scrutiny on the Government of Australia’s decision to impose significant restrictions on access to social media for the under 16s. Apparently some 4.7 million accounts have been suspended by the platforms since the ban came into force. Who knows how many accounts have been missed or remain in the hands of the under 16s? Time will tell.
I can’t help but think about my own experience as a head when mobile phones became commonplace. The School I was in had a standard policy of “don’t use your phone in school”. I remember challenging a pupil who had their phone out and confiscating it. I was surprised that there was not much fuss from the student in question. When I asked why there had been so little fuss, he smiled ruefully at my naivety and showed his “real” phone. Young people are generally a step ahead of any ban.
On a more local level I’ve had the opportunity to speak to a couple of Australian head teachers who are in a position to report on how the effects of the ban are seen in their schools. Their view was that society is correct to restrict access to social media, but the practicalities are more difficult. There is hope that over time the ban will have positive effects on the well-publicised problems of screen overuse. Most agree that the algorithms are the real problem, the platform is not the core of the problem. This week a Teacher Tapp poll reports that 97% of British teachers who were surveyed said that they would be in favour of a similar ban. The President of France has suggested that the ban on mobile phones could be extended, and social media restrictions are also being considered. Change is on the way.
Generally speaking, I’m sceptical regarding outright bans. Prohibition does not have a great history. It is certainly the case that there are many workarounds being employed by enterprising young Australians to access social media. That said, in interviews many say that they find that having a reason to do something different has been a welcome change. They admit to missing their dose of social media but like having an excuse to escape from its clutches.
As it appears that the big tech companies who run these channels are unable to police themselves, governments have to step in. The same could be said more locally. As a school we are looking to provide a wide range of exciting activities, not only as part of our approach to character education, but also in the hope that there is an opportunity for a lifelong interest to be sparked in an activity that may well provide pleasure for years to come. The algorithms are powerful but I believe that we do stand a chance of breaking dependency on endless hours of scrolling. If we provide an example and opportunity to do something different, then we may not have to rely on an all-out ban.
