Students at Lift Richmond Park recently shared their views on a big national topic: should the government ban social media for people under 16?
The school hosted two special guests for a Sky News report:
The students had many different ideas about how social media affects their lives.
One of our students said social media is a "waste of time." They explained that "scrolling" all day makes it hard to focus, saying, "your brain gets used to it and then you can only pay attention in six-second intervals."
Another student argued that a ban would take away a huge part of how young people talk to each other. "It’s a big way for people to communicate," she said.
Even though they disagreed on some things, the students all agreed on one point: they believe young people will always find "loopholes." One student shared that their cousin in Australia - where a ban is already in place - and all her friends have already found ways to get around the rules.
At Lift Schools, we are committed to giving our students a voice through our Lift Talks campaign. We believe students should be heard on the issues that affect them most.
While Lift Richmond Park already has a no-phone rule at school, it was a fantastic opportunity for our children to speak directly to decision-makers and the national media.
Principal at Lift Richmond Park James Whelan said: "I'm delighted for our students to speak to Beth Rigby, a team from Sky News and technology secretary Liz Kendall about social media and a possible ban for young people. They were eloquent, informed and spoke very thoughtfully about their views.”
The government is now spending three months looking at how to keep children safe online, and our students’ voices are a key part of that conversation.
You can find out more about our Lift Talks oracy campaign here.
