Social Media, To Ban or Not to Ban – Part 2

Social Media: To Ban or Not to Ban

Part 2: There is more than one way to skin the cat

 

In Part 1 of this series “Part 1: The government’s opening salvo” we explored a brief and incomplete history of internet filtering in Australia. The recent statistics of sextortion and CSAM across Australia and Meta’s move to introduce Instagram Teen Accounts.

We continue our editorial on this topic by exploring some of the researched impact of handing over a smart phone to our children.

 

The TL;DR

A global study commissioned by HMD in July 2024 found that over half of the surveyed parents regret giving their child a smartphone at a young age, citing negative effects like personality changes and social media pressure. The average age for a child’s first smartphone is 11 years old, and many parents struggle with the balance between allowing connectivity and mitigating risks like stranger danger, cyberbullying, and mental health impacts.

In Australia, 74% of parents want their kids to spend less time on phones, with 80% fearing online stranger danger. Many are also concerned about their children’s learning, social skills, and sleep being affected. Despite these worries, smartphones are valued for keeping children connected and helping track their location.

HMD is working on solutions, like child-friendly phones, and is encouraging collaboration with parents, experts, and companies to address this growing issue. The study reveals the complex dilemma parents face in navigating technology’s risks and rewards for their children.

 

The Better Phone Project

In new worldwide research conducted in July 2024 and commissioned by HMD (Human Mobile Device), of 10,092 respondent parents from across five countries, more than half of those questioned said they regret exposing their child to a smartphone at a young age.

The study, conducted in Australia, United Kingdom, United States, India and Germany, has found eleven is the average age when a parent hands over a smartphone to their child for the first time. A third of those who responded cited the claimed negative effects of the device and changes in personality as a key reason for their regret. Their concerns are consistent with regarding the impact that social media apps, which often go hand-in-hand with smartphones, have on children.

At the same time, more than half of parents agree smartphones can have a positive impact on their children and benefit them educationally. This includes allowing them to keep in touch with friends. It is clear that parents face a dilemma.

 

Aussie Centric Insights

The study had an Australian sample of 2000 parents aged 35+ with children 5-16 years old.

Nearly two-thirds of Australian parents fear their child’s phone use is impacting their learning:

• 74% of Australian parents would like their child to spend less time on their smartphone
• 60% say their phones affect their learning

Majority of Australian parents think negatively about social media for their children:

• 77% of Australian parents think social media puts their children under too much pressure and is not good for their mental health (74%).
• Two-thirds (58%) fear their children might be bullied due to their smartphones (and being always on / connected)

Four in five Australian parents fear smartphones expose their children to stranger danger, with more than half admitting they don’t know what their children get up to when using their phones:

• More than half (56%) of Australian parents agree they don’t or won’t know what their children get up to when using their phones
• 80% of Australian parents fear smartphones put their children in danger from strangers
• While two-thirds (68%) fear it increases the chance they could be blackmailed

Smartphone use is a land of confusion for Australian parents:

• 54% of Australian parents say they want more guidance about how to get their child using screens less, while 53% want the government to provide that guidance
• This matches with the 47% of respondents who said that while there is a lot of advice about children and screen time available, they don’t know what to believe

Two-thirds of Australian parents say they would like a “child-friendly” phone as they look for solutions to manage mobile phone usage:

• 61% of Australian parents say they have or will have to put together various different solutions to deal with their child’s phone use
• 44% say they would like more control as parents but do not know where to begin
• It is not surprising, therefore, that two-thirds (65%) of Australian parents say they would like a child friendly phone to help them

Australian parents admit their own smartphone-free childhood meant they engaged more with their family:

• 55% of Australian parents report having had big arguments with their children over phone use, or suspect it will happen.
• Meanwhile, a huge 69% of Australian parents say that when reflecting back on their own childhoods, they spend more time engaging with their parents because they didn’t have a phone – and that their parents know more about them and their life as a result.

Australian parents would like to see schools educate children on the dangers of social media, while a majority call for schools to ban phones:

• A majority (64%) of Australian parents would like to see schools ban phones, while a huge 80% would like to see their school educate their children on the dangers of social media
• 75% think the social media companies themselves should do more about children’s phone usage

Almost half of parents admit mobile phone use has changed their child’s personality, with a third claiming their child has body image issues due to their phones:

• 45% of Australian parents report a change in their child’s personality after they started using a mobile phone, 47% report a short attention span, and 38% think their child has been less able to express their emotions
• 27% say their child now has body image issues due to phone use and constantly being connectedAbout half of Australian parents regret handing over a smartphone to their child and wish they had waited longer, with over a third citing they have seen negative side effects in their children:
• 46% of Australian parents wish they had waited longer to give their child a smartphone
• 63% say this because their child spends too much time on it, 43% because it is harder to take it away from them once they have it, and 38% have seen negative effects – a third (33%) say it has changed their personality

Over half of Australian parents thinking knowing where their children are is a major benefit of smartphone ownership:

• 59% say their child learns the technology that they are going to use for the rest of their lives
• Over half (54%) say phones are useful for tracking and knowing where they are
• While 44% say it gives them another way to interact with friends
• 77% of Australian parents think social media puts their children under too much pressure, 74% say it’s not good for their child’s mental health and 54% want more support to help them manage their child’s screen time.

 

Who Is Doing What? HMD

HMD is now striving to understand these challenges as it looks to offer a suite of new and innovative solutions which could work for parents, their children and anyone who is looking for credible alternatives to a smartphone.

The digital detox space is one HMD is familiar with, having spearheaded the dumbphone trend by reimagining feature phone classics for the modern consumer seeking to limit their screen time and social media use.

In the global findings:

• 64% of parents questioned said smartphone use negatively impacts their child’s sleep
• 61% think it reduces the amount of physical activity they undertake
• More than half (54%) are worried that it will reduce the amount of time they spend socialising with friends.
• 75% of parents fearing smartphones expose their children to internet dangers, with more than half admitting they don’t know what their children get up to when using their phones.
• Almost half of parents believe mobile phone use has changed their child’s personality
• A third claim their child has body image issues due to their phones.
• 38% of parents feel there are ‘no solutions’.

Lars Silberbauer, CMO of HMD, said: “The Better Phone Project is a journey to discovering a variety of solutions that tackle digital overload, providing choice and balance. Our goal is to collaborate with parents and experts to develop solutions that truly meet people’s needs, driving innovation in this space.”

Brenden Folitarik, GM Australia and Oceania, HMD, said: “It’s clear that Australian parents are struggling to find the balance between giving their children the benefit and freedom of connectivity while also teaching them about the responsible use of technology. This research is the first of an ongoing commitment from HMD to stay close to our consumers and be part of the solution.”

Joe Ryrie Co-founder of Smartphone Free Childhood said: “We’re delighted that HMD is committed to addressing the glaring gap in the market for child-friendly phones through this project. Their research into children and smartphones is yet more evidence of the impossible position that parents find themselves in today; We either give our children access to a device they might not be ready for, or choose not to and risk alienating them from their peers.

It’s an issue that the 100,000+ parents who’ve joined our community since February are battling with on a daily basis, and we know that solving it requires a collaborative effort between parents, children, government and tech companies.

Parents in our community are crying out for a phone which is desirable to children but isn’t designed to steal their attention. So we’re very excited about collaborating with HMD to help define what a modern child-friendly phone should be.”

 

Interim Conclusions

The results from the Better Phone Project shows that the majority of parents in the five surveyed countries think negatively of mobile phones and social media for their children.

At the same time, there are demonstrated benefits for interactions and maintaining connections with friends.

It is a dilemma that parents face, and it is a different journey for every family.

HMD, as a phone manufacturer, is leading the charge to open the discussion to everybody. If you would like to be part of this conversation, you can sign up to be involved at https://www.hmd.com/en_int/better-phone-project.

In the next and final part of this series, Kevin shares his thoughts and experience as a parent and journalist on this entire topic.