When a group of teenagers gathers to debate a potential ban for under-16s on smartphones and social media, sparks are bound to fly!
Sixth-form students from Emmanuel College had the pleasure of joining students from Harton Academy, Royal Grammar School Newcastle, and Gateshead College on 2 October to debate this question in the Inter-School Debate 2024.
The debate was organised in partnership with Phil Jackman and Andrew Pounder MBCS CITP, #Cyberfest2024, and the North East Initiative on Business Ethics (NIBE). Caroline Theobald CBE, Hon DCR, NIBE’s founding director, was our compere for the evening and Phil O’Neil, Head of Department, Digital Games and Technologies at Gateshead College, kindly hosted the event at Gateshead College’s Baltic Campus.
It has been said that a whole generation of children are being deprived of the childhood they deserve by a handful of companies in Silicon Valley who have repeatedly shown that they are putting profits before child safety. UK technology secretary Peter Kyle has revealed that he is keeping a close eye on Australia, where the government has announced plans to ban social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram from being accessed by children. The country’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has suggested that children as old as 16 could be barred from the platforms. With this in mind, the motion of the debate was ‘This House believes that smartphones and social media should be banned for under 16s’.
Our thanks go to the students and their teachers who prepared so thoroughly for the event. The students spoke with such eloquence and conviction, and there were fantastic arguments for both sides of the debate. Particular thanks to our very own Miss S Smith, Head of English, who has overseen the Emmanuel College Debating Society in recent months, and congratulations to the winning team from Harton Academy!
We are extremely grateful to Caroline Theobald’s ongoing support and delighted that she has secured the necessary sponsorship for 2025 and beyond. See you next year!
