O’Neill: Phones should not be banned from classrooms but they need to be regulated  - video Dailymotion

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

Transcript

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.