1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,360 Speaker 1: First, though Australia, the under sixteenth ban on social media 2 00:00:03,560 --> 00:00:06,920 Speaker 1: is in today, and just this afternoon, New Zealand's Education 3 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:10,000 Speaker 1: and Workforce Committee released an interim report on the worrying 4 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:12,840 Speaker 1: amount of harm that young Kiwy's experience online, and the 5 00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:15,520 Speaker 1: majority of MPs are in favor of a band like 6 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:19,599 Speaker 1: the Aussies except the Greens and Act. Karl Bates's Nationals 7 00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:22,080 Speaker 1: Committee Acting Chair, with us, good evening. 8 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:26,079 Speaker 2: Good evening, run well, great to be on the show 9 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:26,319 Speaker 2: with you. 10 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:28,480 Speaker 1: Great to have you here. So put this into context 11 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:31,200 Speaker 1: for us. How bad you've heard, all the evidence, you've 12 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:33,479 Speaker 1: spoken to, all the experts. How bad is this that 13 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:35,880 Speaker 1: the harm that's been done to kids? Is it worse 14 00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:38,199 Speaker 1: if your parents? Should you be more worried about this 15 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:41,560 Speaker 1: than you know, vaping or drinking or smoking or anything else? 16 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 1: Is this the big worry? 17 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:46,479 Speaker 2: Well, I think all of those things you've referred to 18 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:49,080 Speaker 2: as things that parents obviously have to be concerned about. 19 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:52,560 Speaker 2: The harm experienced online by young New Zealanders is really 20 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 2: clear that it's there, and it's across a range of categories. 21 00:00:56,080 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 2: And that's one of the takeaways from this report. Ryan 22 00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:01,880 Speaker 2: that it's not just about content but it's also about contact. 23 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:04,840 Speaker 2: It's about conduct, so things like the intentional use of 24 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:08,240 Speaker 2: platforms to harm or abuse others and also the commerce 25 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:10,800 Speaker 2: harms that not only young New Zealanders experienced but others 26 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:14,000 Speaker 2: as well. So it is something those parents we need 27 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:14,840 Speaker 2: to be concerned. 28 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:16,959 Speaker 1: About, okay, and how concerned do we need to be? 29 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:19,920 Speaker 1: Like are we freaking out about this? Or you know, 30 00:01:20,040 --> 00:01:23,400 Speaker 1: is this a serious threat to young people and their development? 31 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:27,240 Speaker 2: Well instead of freaking out about it, I think this 32 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 2: is something that parents can be confident. Certainly the National 33 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 2: Party is concerned about and has put actions on the 34 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:36,399 Speaker 2: table along with our colleagues and the Labor Party to 35 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:41,760 Speaker 2: have broad support from Parliament to take actions that will 36 00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:43,240 Speaker 2: address these harms. 37 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:47,480 Speaker 1: Can social media giants actually do that? Can they stop this? 38 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:50,040 Speaker 1: Can they limit the harm? Or won't they? 39 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:54,120 Speaker 2: So there's two things to that. Firstly, the social media 40 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:57,919 Speaker 2: ban which we're seeing implemented in Australia today. This Select 41 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:00,160 Speaker 2: Committee said we're going to keep a watching brief on 42 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:02,640 Speaker 2: that as we go into next year and deliberate on 43 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:05,520 Speaker 2: the final report early next year. But it's also about 44 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:08,720 Speaker 2: recognizing that that's only one part of a suite of 45 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:13,040 Speaker 2: changes that we're proposing either for action on or for 46 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 2: further consideration that address other parts of the puzzle. And 47 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 2: I think often we talk about the social media ban 48 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:23,000 Speaker 2: as the one thing, and obviously Catherine Wedd's Members Bill 49 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 2: started that conversation earlier in the year. Here in New 50 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:27,920 Speaker 2: Zealand is in a really important part of it. But 51 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:29,919 Speaker 2: there are other things we need to do here as well, 52 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:33,200 Speaker 2: like the introduction of a national regulator for online safety, 53 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:38,160 Speaker 2: like looking at legislation like the Films, Videos, Publications Classifications 54 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:42,720 Speaker 2: Act and whether or not they are appropriate for twenty 55 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:44,240 Speaker 2: twenty five six. 56 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:45,840 Speaker 1: All of this, all of this sounds great, but it 57 00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:49,079 Speaker 1: also sounds like tentering around the edges. Honestly, and if 58 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 1: you look at Australia already, you've got kids who are 59 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 1: getting around the band. So you let the horse has bolted. 60 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:56,160 Speaker 1: You're not going to stop this, you know. 61 00:02:57,120 --> 00:02:59,560 Speaker 2: There's no intention that a band is going to stop 62 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:03,840 Speaker 2: every from accessing social media immediately. It's like we still 63 00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:06,440 Speaker 2: see kids go into shops and buy alcohol. We still 64 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:10,120 Speaker 2: see kids that shouldn't be driving drive. But it's about 65 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 2: creating a culture shift, it's about changing the norm and 66 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:16,000 Speaker 2: we're going to be able to be a fast follower 67 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:19,680 Speaker 2: to Australia and follow what they've done, take their learnings 68 00:03:19,720 --> 00:03:22,359 Speaker 2: and apply them here to achieve that culture shift to 69 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:22,920 Speaker 2: New Zealand. 70 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 1: Carl, there was a server and I've looked at this 71 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 1: report and there's one page on parental responsibility, which you know, 72 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:31,799 Speaker 1: ur a national empower would have thought that would have 73 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:33,480 Speaker 1: been a little higher up the pecking order. But here 74 00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:37,640 Speaker 1: we are on page twenty six of fifty and there's 75 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:42,640 Speaker 1: a survey of parents. Ninety three percent were totally unaware 76 00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:46,520 Speaker 1: or only slightly aware of solutions to minimize online harm 77 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:48,920 Speaker 1: to young people. How about don't give them a phone. 78 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:52,200 Speaker 2: So there's a few things that that then comes in. 79 00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:55,680 Speaker 2: First of all, the level of responsive, purity of responsibility 80 00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:57,960 Speaker 2: that parents should have in protecting their children. That's one 81 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:00,880 Speaker 2: of the considerations we think you doing to look at further. 82 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:03,440 Speaker 2: There is the ongoing research we think we need in 83 00:04:03,440 --> 00:04:06,240 Speaker 2: a New Zealand context to support that and also the 84 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:09,520 Speaker 2: role that education plays in a shout out to our 85 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 2: Minister of Education for the update to the New Zealand 86 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:17,080 Speaker 2: curriculum that brings in this digital technology component to the 87 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:19,960 Speaker 2: changes that are been proposed to the new Zealand curriculum. 88 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:23,040 Speaker 2: So it's not just one part of the puzzle that's 89 00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:24,599 Speaker 2: going to solve this right, We've got to do a 90 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:28,919 Speaker 2: number of things in order to protect our kids online 91 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:31,760 Speaker 2: from the online harm that they are experiencing. 92 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:36,200 Speaker 1: Cal Bates Committee cheer for more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive. 93 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:39,760 Speaker 1: Listen live to news talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays, 94 00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:42,080 Speaker 1: or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.