Teacher warns social media is making young people ‘obsessed and distracted’

A Sydney high school teacher has revealed why he’s backed social media limits for younger children with his daughter, after witnessing the effects in his classroom firsthand.

High school drama teacher Phil Wood says he has watched a worrying shift in how students relate to technology — and it’s made him a strong supporter of the social media limits for younger children.

Wood, a father of two from Sydney with children aged 9 and 11, says the impact of smartphones is impossible to ignore in the classroom. “I have seen how distracted by it and sometimes obsessed young people have become with it,” he said.

“From my perspective a lot of what seems to find its way onto social media is advertising and social influencers peddling fairly superficial products.

“This has influenced my decision to support the ban/limits as young people are so easily lead.”

Philip Wood with daughter Ikie, 11 years old who doesn’t use social media at their Sydney home. Picture: Jeremy Piper

His 11-year-old daughter, Ikie, is just as blunt about the risks.

“I think it’s a good idea because kids my age don’t need to be using social media and it can also be bad for their mental health and it stops some opportunities for cyber bullying,” she said.

Mr Wood hopes the limits will give children space to grow without the noise of online influence.

“I hope that (this ban) allows her to have time to find herself and become the person she wants to be, before being unnecessarily shaped by forces that will find their way into her feeds,” he said.

Mr Wood hopes the limits will give children space to grow without the noise of online influence. Picture: Jeremy Piper

Both father and daughter said their biggest concern is early exposure to harmful content.

“(My concern about children on social media at a young age) is that they’ll see violent or inappropriate videos or images. Or they could get bullied,” Ikie said.

Mr Wood added: “I think young people can be very reactive in times of upheaval. This can lead young people to say or do things online that may be inappropriate or harmful,” he said.

“They too can become victims to other young people’s reactiveness. There are so many social consequences with this.”

Originally published as Teacher warns social media is making young people ‘obsessed and distracted’