Hawke’s Bay parents agree social media for under-16s is scary - but will a ban work?

National MP Catherine Wedd's member's bill aims to ban social media access to under-16s. Photo / Unsplash - MD Duran

Hawke’s Bay parents say social media and the internet is a frightening place for under-16s, but are divided on whether Tukituki MP Catherine Wedd’s Members’ Bill to ban them from social media will shield them from the dangers.

The National Party bill will remain a Members’ Bill after Act leader David Seymour stated on Tuesday his party would not support it, dashing the Prime Minister and Wedd’s hope of Government adoption.

Seymour claimed the bill was sloppily drafted and didn’t take into account the intricacies of what could be classified as social media and what couldn’t.

“Just slapping on a ban hastily drafted won’t solve the real problem. The real problem has to involve parents, the solution proposed by National doesn’t,” Seymour said.

Father of three children under 8, Uttam Floray, of Hastings, said he worries a ban would undermine the role of families and communities.

“I don’t see why this would require Government intervention. If you create a stigma around something, teens will inquisitively find ways of exploring this.”

Floray said he believes a better solution would be for the Government to provide free online safety courses for parents.

“The internet is a scary place, even for us adults. My problem is not that internet safety isn’t an issue, but how much more Government intervention do we need?”

Jeremy Martin, a father of five children aged between 3 and 13 in Central Hawke’s Bay, supports the ban and says the invisible nature of online threats is what frightens him most.

“My 9-year-old son has gone onto Minecraft and been approached by random people online,” he told Hawke’s Bay Today.

“I think the big problem is the invisible stuff that we as parents don’t see or even know about.

“Social media is so different from when we were kids, and it is addictive and dangerous, and should be treated as such.”

Hastings father Louis Hansen also agrees with a blanket ban.

“I thought I had a pretty good grasp of internet control via home rules, parental controls over the modem with time limits imposed on devices and filters,” he told Hawke’s Bay Today.

“But even with all my efforts to protect my kids, I’ve watched my older kids get addicted to gaming and behavioural changes when suffering withdrawals from devices and even had my then 11-year-old catfished.”

Hansen, who has five boys ranging from toddler to a 22-year-old, said it was a wake-up call to how vulnerable kids can be.

“Where in the ’80s and ’90s, kids were typing 80085 into a calculator to see it spell ‘boobs’ they are now inputting that into a Google search bar and getting a very different view, one that young kids shouldn’t be exposed to.”

He believes a blanket ban on social media under 16 could help reduce exposure to online harms.

“Some kids will be mature enough to handle social media, just like some kids could socially handle consuming alcohol in a licensed premises without supervision under the age of 18, but it doesn’t mean they should,” Hansen said.

“I couldn’t care less who tables the idea, if it benefits our kids, our future, and our growth as a healthy nation, I’m all for it.”

Netsafe says it is reviewing the proposed My Social Media Age-Appropriate Users Bill and is currently considering its content.

“We will be interested to understand the coalition Government’s position on the Bill and ways to engage with proposals to keep young people safer online,” CEO Brent Carey says.

He says Netsafe is monitoring Australia’s challenges to enforcing its upcoming social media ban.

Wedd, a mother of four children, told Hawke’s Bay Today that while operational details are still being explored, social media companies would be responsible for enforcing the ban with “strong penalties” in place.

“Ultimately, this bill is about providing some direction for parents and families to ensure that we’re protecting our young teenagers and kids from online harm on social media.”