As the Government considers a ban on social media for under-16s (you may have come across ‘B416’ being promoted recently!), Sarah Catherall interviews the influencer, podcaster and radio host, Matilda Green, on why she is joining a parent-led lobby group pushing for a crackdown.
When Matilda Green’s five-year-old son, Milo, started school, he came home and asked his parents for an iPad. Other kids in the class have one so why can’t he too? But Matilda and her husband, Art – The Bachelor couple who fell in love on the show a decade ago – are taking a stand against devices and plan to restrict screens and phones for their three children aged five, three and one for as long as possible.
When Milo goes on a playdate, the podcaster, social media influencer and radio host asks that it be device-free, and so far, parents have been agreeable. Matilda says: “If you can’t prepare for children to play device-free for a couple of hours, then you shouldn’t commit to a playdate… I’ve spoken to other parents who have started doing it too, so it’s definitely catching on.’’
Matilda is one of the influential parents who have joined together to form a lobby group, B416, which is calling for controls on social media for under 16s. Co-founded by My Food Bag entrepreneur and mother-of-three Cecilia Robinson, B416 is a group of parents, health professionals, educators, researchers and business leaders who are deeply concerned about the rising mental health crisis among young people. The team also includes entrepeneur Anna Mowbray, and the CEOs of Zeil and Outward Bound alongside paediatricians, clinicians and digital safety experts. Supported by Gemma McCaw and others, they’ve launched a petition demanding a ban on social media for under 16s, following moves across the Tasman.
Here, National MP Catherine Wedde – a mother-of-four – has launched a private members bill on the issue, which PM Chris Luxon hopes will become a Government bill. Although, ACT isn’t in favour, with both leader David Seymour and the minister in charge, Brooke van Helden, saying it’s up to parents to decide if and when their kids should access social media.
But Matilda gets heated, saying we should set our kids up for success, and support parents trying to do the right thing for their children. She argues that it’s time to shift the cultural expectation that kids will get a smartphone and a device at a younger and younger age, and that they need social media to connect with others. She personally struggles to put her phone down, so what’s it like for a young person going through adolescence?
“We’re in the crux of it. We’re too far into this. It’s an epidemic and parents can’t keep up with what these big tech platforms are doing.’’
“Parents say: “I don’t want my kids to be ostracized at school because it’s how young people communicate.’’ I completely understand that, and that’s part of the reason why we have set up B416. We can say : “Parents, we are trying to help you do the best thing for your child without the pressure of feeling like you’re the only one.’’
“It’s a huge ask for parents to fight this alone. It’s the same as seatbelts, alcohol, all these things. There is something that is obviously harming the wellbeing of our children. Sure, there are some positives, but for a developing brain, in my opinion it is overwhelmingly negative. ‘’
Matilda often gets criticized and told she is hypocritical for speaking up against social media when it is part of her job. With 158,000 followers on Instagram, she is also the co-host of Untidy, the parenting podcast she runs with podcaster and writer Hannah Davison, a mother-of-two. Flicka Williams, a mother-of-three, is the designer and also a member of B416.
“It’s a huge ask for parents to fight this alone. It’s the same as seatbelts, alcohol, all these things. There is something that is obviously harming the wellbeing of our children.”
But Matilda says: “It’s not just social media personalities talking about it. I think my career is irrelevant. I made social media my career when I was 25. I was an adult. When I create social media content, it’s not marketed at 13-year-old girls. That argument is often used to discredit my opinion.’’
Along with the social media ban, these parents support the idea of banning smartphones until their children reach 16 – a parent-led movement for this is gaining momentum around the globe. Instead, they’ll give their kids a standard phone like a Samsung Smartsurfer, for texts and phone calls but not to access the internet.
The lobby group has formed amid disturbing facts about social media harms: Grooming reports to police on Snapchat have increased fivefold since 2021; a recent report by the Classifications Office found that illegal, banned content is part of the youth online experience.
Psychological distress among 15–24-year-olds has increased by 400% over the past decade and 75% of youth say mental health is their biggest challenge, with half blaming social media struggles.
Matilda is horrified about what comes into her Instagram feed and says: “People can share photos of decapitated babies from wars. Your children can see that and they will never be able to unsee these images once they appear. These are formative years for children, eight to 16, where young people are learning how to be in a community and what that means. For us to give them these completely addictive apps which are feeding them these images and this information is terrifying. There is a misconception that the tech companies care. But I do think that profit is their number one priority.’’
She points out that it’s unfair for parents to try to navigate and control their children’s use of platforms which are designed to keep their kids addicted. “I don’t think many parents know about the dark content that comes through on their kids’ social media feeds.
How can the average parent keep up? Especially when a lot of parents are struggling with their own social media addiction. Children need protecting – every child, not just your own.’’
