THE HEADTEACHER'S BLOG - THE BURFORDIAN, ISSUE 6 2024 - 2025
Back to News
This is the Headteacher's Blog which was first featured in issue 6 of The Burfordian, published on Friday 6th December 2024.
In this, the final blog of four on the subject of mobile phones, I offer the briefest sense of the impact of the online world accessible in the palm of a child’s hand. This is the most challenging area of scrutiny and where I believe there are stronger claims for restricting access to apps (if not devices) for young people.
An October report by the office for the Children’s commissioner provides support for the idea that the older the child the safer they feel online. However, the same report highlights the challenge of effectively monitoring the content that young people see and the way the online world reinforces previously held views. In effect the online world can exaggerate vulnerability. Those who feel unsafe online are much more likely to have anxiety about fairness, body image, health and a range of other factors in a young person’s life. And in turn those with anxiety about themselves will more likely find their way to the sites that reinforce such anxiety in a potentially destructive loop.
In my previous blog I alluded to the challenge of setting a fair and balanced policy around mobile phones (or in fact any part of school life). Capability and emotional responses will vary for each individual and the capacity for any one person to self-regulate differs enormously. Many young people will have the ability and resilience to distinguish between fact and fiction and further they will be able to understand the difference between behaviours that are acceptable and those that are not. Such a compass, however, cannot be assumed, particularly when there is little to no fact checking on social media sites and the apps are designed to be addictive. Irrespective, when 2/3 of young people (Internet Matters) say they have seen harmful content online and nearly 20% say that they have experienced unkindness or bullying online (ONS), resilience is easily eroded, leaving young people increasingly vulnerable and unsafe.
The Internet Matters report is well worth a read for a sense of balance. It does touch upon many scary areas including influencers, sexism, bullying, gaming, violence and pornography but it advocates for better monitoring of the online world rather than solutions that necessarily represent prohibitive action such as banning mobile phones. They rightly point to the capability of devices to allow for easy communication, positive socialisation as well as access to essential support networks not easily reached in person. Meeting the challenge presented by Internet Matters will involve a long journey that it appears few governments are willing to take.
I am aware that I have blended in this blog the online world with social media and access to mobile phones. Notwithstanding somewhat frightening behavioural conditions such as “phantom vibration syndrome” or “notification anxiety”, when it comes to social media it is not necessarily the device that is the challenge it is the effective policing of the apps, gaming sites and blogs that is perhaps more the issue. The challenge for parents and educators is we in effect end up policing the matter as there is a significant absence of legislation to monitor the corporations responsible for these incredibly powerful tools. So, the question is what we do to offer the best opportunities to our children in the safest way. No doubt the world will be very interested in the progress of the Australian government’s attempt to ban children aged under 16 from accessing social media.
As with most issues it is possible to find support for whatever view you wish to hold. Of course, the way social media works, in uniting people of similar views, the echo chamber can serve to isolate people from a balanced view. I am not sure I have been able to stay as balanced as I may have wished, however, I am hopeful that in conducting the parent questionnaire next term we are able to get a sense of the community view of the use of internet enabled phone devices.
Please do take time to review the different blogs over the last 2 terms (linked below) and explore some of the links contained along the way. I look forward to hearing your views in the questionnaire set for release next term. I believe this is the most important matter of our age affecting education. In the meantime, in the first week of advent I wish you the best for the coming festive period. I will write briefly before the end of term with a much cheerier message.