We need our Government to introduce Legislation to delay smart phone ownership until the age of 16 (inclusive of all internet and social media). It’s the only answer to save our children’s minds. Look around you - the toxic effects are everywhere. 

Our Government has done nothing to protect our children.

Unsupervised Social Media and the Internet are simply addictive poison for young developing minds. The best our government can do is 'investigate the effects of social media on children'  – we all know the answer to that already!

Our (retired) Australian Cricket Coach Justin Langer just said last year: 

If I could give any young athlete advice, it is: ‘No Social Media’.

‘Social Media is an absolute killer’. 
(10 News First, Perth 12/10/21).  

As a parent, grandparent, teacher, sports coach, medical professional, chaplain - or simply someone who cares about children: Can you remember how ‘free’ we felt during our childhood? 

That feeling no longer exists for our children - because of smartphones and social media. 

Young children are bullied, feel harassed and anxious, question their self-worth, lose sleep over online content and constantly compare themselves to photoshopped ‘influencers’ telling them how to look, how to change themselves and what they must buy. 

Social media preys so heavily on our children’s minds and vulnerability to ‘connect and belong’, to ‘fit in’, to ‘look a certain way’ and to change who they are naturally. This is not what we would ever choose for our children.

Addiction to social media and technology or phones is the worst, unmanaged social crisis for our youth. Not only is this crisis forcing our children to grow up, way beyond their years, it’s leaving behind a path of destruction, linked directly to the worst youth mental health crisis in history.

All the current research shows that the alarming incidence of anxiety, depression, eating disorders and suicide is directly linked to the effects of social media and addiction to phones.

Speak to any family of teens and they will share dark stories of what has happened in their own families or families they know. 

As a mother of young, primary school aged children, my hope is that our next generation will have the opportunity to lead ‘real childhoods’ again, without the inordinate pressure and omnipresence of smart phones and social media.

This new way forward would still see children with phones for safety and connection, but without ‘smart phone’ capability. They can still call, text, take pics and play games, but without internet access or capability – until they are educated and skilled at managing the dangers and risks of the ‘adult online world’ that has been inflicted upon them. 

There would be an even playing field where children didn’t feel they had to be online constantly or on platforms such as Tik Tok and Snapchat to ‘fit in’, conform with peers and keep up-to-date with every post and conversation/update. 

Just imagine that world for our children again – the world we grew up in. To feel free. 

Never before has the ‘psychological landscape’ of our children been so out of our control as parents and so dangerous to their health, welfare and development. 

We must take action now. Please join me to to save our children’s minds. Please sign this petition.

A loving mum,

Anita A. McSweeney xx

 

“Research shows a strong correlation between the uptake of social media and significant increases in mental health issues ... Young people who are heavy social media users - spending more than two hours a day on social networking sites such as Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, Twitter or Instagram – are more likely to report poor mental health ....  it is not surprising that the number of young people experiencing anxiety has increased.”

The West Australian, 20/11/21, Jennifer Oaten, Principal, Santa Maria College, Kids need social media help. 

“… sexting ...  graphic and intimate pictures is highly concerning, deeply dangerous and absolutely demeaning ... These (social media use) are complicated matters that most adults struggle to navigate, so what are we doing to address them in younger generations, before the behaviour is entrenched? We acknowledge, in laws around driving and other such perilous activities, that there is a gradual move up to responsibility. L plates. P plates.... What are we as a community saying and more importantly, doing about this problem?”

The West Australian, 27/11/21, Gemma Tognini, Executive Director GT Communications, Dark side of smart phones. 

“‘Many young people said they felt bothered without access to their phone and the older they were, the worse it was.”

The West Australian, 24/11/21, Kate Emery, Real Life as a WA Kid. 

“More than half – 56 per cent - of female students and 30 per cent of boys said they had received sexual material, including pornographic images, videos or messages. (Survey of Year 4 to 12 students by the Commissioner for Children and Young People Colin Pettit).

Mr Pettit said: “What is of great concern is that mental health remains a critical issue for many, and the number of young people experiencing emotional distress has risen since the inaugural survey in 2019”.... Children’s attachment to, and use of, smartphones could well be connected to the alarming high level of young people communicating with strangers online. 

It should be of interest and of concern, and an impetus for action for every parent, teacher, politician and, indeed, adult across this State.”

The West Australian Editorial, 24/11/21, The scarily secret lives of our teens online. 

“Ms Haugen, a former Facebook product manager ... Her bombshell revelations including shocking evidence the social media giant knew its content, particularly on Instagram, was extremely harmful to children, especially on young girls … one member of the US Senate said: “The damage to self-worth will haunt a generation”… we need both big tech and governments to do better, to be ever vigilant in understanding, anticipating and addressing online harms.”

The West Australian, 13/10/21, Bill Shorten, Tackle Social Media Harms.