I get lots of suggestions for articles. However, I have one friend who’s smart enough to compare student issues in US profiles to other education trends worldwide. He read that Australia is planning to ban kids under 16 from social media to keep them safe.
As absurd as it may sound, there was a challenge set forth. And it took a school murder to jumpstart it all. Two weeks ago, an extremely radical way to keep kids away from their phones was launched by the father of a teenager who was fatally stabbed. His very first comment to the media was not about his son but he rather said that social media is “taking away children’s childhoods.”
Olly Stephens was ambushed in 2021 in Reading over a dispute on social media.
His dad, Stuart Stephens, worked with the government on the Online Safety Act but is now focusing on a new bill to protect children from harm when accessing services and content online. A government spokesperson said the Online Safety Act would provide safeguards for children starting next summer.
Mr. Stephens said legal protections would “absolutely” have helped his son if they had come in earlier.
STABBED TO DEATH BY TWO TEENAGE BOYS
Olly was stabbed to death by two teenage boys in a field behind his house after they recruited a girl online to lure him there. The entire attack had been planned on social media and triggered by a social media chat group dispute.
“Before Olly passed, there was no Online Safety Act; therefore, there was no protection for children online,” Mr. Stephens said. “We understand how social media works… every time a child is on a screen, flicking through a screen, doom-scrolling… it’s about making money for the companies.”
He said social media companies currently ‘act with impunity.’ “They can duck any responsibility for what happens,” he said.
PHASE OUT FOR GOOD
He said he wanted schools to “phase out” the use of phones by under 16s.
“The impact of social media within the school system is breaking down our children’s educations,” he said. “Mobile phones take away children’s childhoods, their imagination, and their thirst for knowledge.”
Another thing he wants to see changed is access to social media data. He said he wanted the data to be automatically accessible after the death of a child instead of a coroner having to order its release.
“That data, if it ever comes out, is incriminating to this company, so they bury it,” he said. “[But] in our case, it was the difference between manslaughter and murder.”
Despite the challenges, Mr. Stephens said he was optimistic because there was an open dialogue about the issue.
“We’re having conversations with parents in the playground, we’re having conversations with mums at Olly’s bench, I’m having those conversations with people in the street,” he said. “Having that conversation is what started it all.”
EVERYONE SAYS THE SAME THING
A government spokesperson said, “We all want to find the best way to ensure children’s safety while also benefiting from the latest digital technology.”
They added that the Online Safety Act included a requirement for social media companies to check the age of children, giving parents “peace of mind about the safety of their children online.”
The Online Safety Bill, which took years to agree on, will force firms to remove illegal content and protect children from some legal but harmful material.
Stuart Stephens told the BBC the new law was a “game-changer.”
“Many people have dedicated their lives to getting this bill passed, especially the Bereaved Parents for Online Safety,” he said, adding: “It hasn’t quite sunk in yet…”
The nearly 300-page bill, which peers have passed, will introduce new rules, such as requiring pornography sites to stop children viewing content by checking the ages of users – and new offenses, including cyber-flashing and the sharing of “deepfake” pornography.
It also includes measures to make it easier for bereaved parents to obtain information about their children from tech firms. After King Charles gives royal assent, the communications regulator Ofcom will be primarily responsible for enforcing the measures.
“I’ve always said we’re fortunate in this country that we have freedom of speech – you can say what you want, and you won’t disappear at night,” said Mr. Stephens.
‘PUNCHES YOU IN THE STOMACH’
“But the problem is when it becomes harmful and dangerous to society, you’ve crossed a line, so it needs regulating and a firm hand.”
He said he believed the bill’s passing had been “very underplayed in the press,” adding: “But this is a huge piece of legislation; this is a game-changer.”
Describing the moment as “bittersweet,” Mr. Stephens explained how he sat in the House of Commons with his daughter, listening to the final stages of the bill.
“Having our children’s names mentioned on the Commons floor, it’s like someone punches you in the stomach – it takes your breath away,” he said.
This column is by Ritchie Lucas, Founder/CEO of the non-profit The Student Success Project. He can be reached by email at ritchie@studentsuccessproject.org and on Facebook as The Student Success Project.
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