• 7 months ago
O’Neill: Phones should not be banned from classrooms but they need to be regulated 

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00:00 I would not recommend that we ban phones from school, but I do think there needs to be policies
00:07 around the use of phones in school that need to be implemented.
00:11 So that's one thing.
00:12 I think some young people need their phone to feel safe.
00:15 I mean, as adults, a lot of us can identify with that.
00:18 So I think as a security and safety measure, the phone needs to be there.
00:23 But I do think we need to have open discussions and we need to talk to young people about
00:26 what would work for them in terms of using phones in schools and all of that.
00:32 I think the legislation around very triggering images on social media, particularly images
00:38 of self-harm and suicide and images that would promote disordered eating, for example, images
00:43 are very triggered in terms of compulsive behaviours.
00:46 So we really need, if we can do anything, it's around that image-based social media
00:50 because that, I think, is the strongest impact on young people's mental health and giving
00:55 them the skills to manage the relational stuff around the likes and the messages that they
01:01 receive and the comments that they receive.
01:03 And that can be done through good relationships education.
01:07 But yeah, we need to listen to young people because even, like, I'm a step removed.
01:11 I don't know really what's going on.
01:13 And as parents, we need to be over the shoulder of the young person, really with them and
01:18 understanding and having that relationship with them so that they can tell us when things
01:22 are going wrong and show us what they're looking at online.
01:24 So we have an awareness then too.
01:26 Particularly around self-harm, it's something that now is probably prevalent in the internet
01:30 and it's horrendous to see that children are experiencing that or sometimes encouraged.
01:35 And it's just something I think that should be a priority to address.
01:38 But I appreciate it.
01:39 Very unsafe content generally around suicide, you know, graphic imagery, sensationalist
01:43 coverage, all of that stuff that contributes to suicidal thinking and can influence how
01:49 people behave when they're in crisis.
01:51 So we need to be using digital generally to promote well-being and mental health.
01:57 We need to be using that mechanism too.
01:59 It's only by listening to young people that we'll be able to do that, you know.

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