Teach, Don’t Ban: Auckland Educator On Under-16s Social Media Proposal

As a new bill seeks to ban social media access for under-16s in New Zealand, an experienced  educator from Auckland, says it’s not a total ban, but responsible digital education that will truly safeguard young New Zealanders.

The member’s bill, introduced by National Party MP for Tukituki Catherine Wedd, proposes raising the age limit for accessing platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) from 13 to 16. The intention is to curb cyberbullying, harmful content and social media addiction among young people.

But for educator Dr.Paula Ray, who has worked in New Zealand’s secondary and tertiary sectors  since 2010, and holds a PhD in social media  communications from the University of Auckland, the solution lies elsewhere.

“Yes, there should be some limitations for under-16s. But I don’t believe in a total ban,” she said. 

“When these students enter tertiary education or go into the workforce, they’ll need to use social media. Similar to  AI, it’s going to be a part of life. Our responsibility is to teach them how to use it with accountability.”

Ray recalls the time when New Zealand introduced a school cellphone ban in April 2024.

“That ban was really effective. It helped students to focus in class, reduced the need for teachers to constantly remind students to put away their phones, and cut down cyberbullying drastically. Fights outside school dropped too, because they simply couldn’t coordinate them anymore.”

A structured three-strike policy supported by digital tools helped reinforce the system, with parents called in after the third breach.

She remains sceptical about how enforceable a blanket ban on social media would be outside the school walls.

Instead, the educator recommends a three-pronged approach:

1. Enforcing phone bans in schools during class hours to maintain focus and safety.
   
   
2. Including digital literacy in the school curriculum.Teaching responsible use - pros and cons of social media usage, and how to manage their digital footprints.
   
   
3. Placing accountability on social media platforms to introduce enforceable age checks and prevent underage access.

MP Catherine Wedd, who introduced the bill, believes the current minimum age of 13 does little to protect vulnerable young users. She talks about how the bill puts the onus on social media companies to verify that someone is over the age of 16. Currently, there are no legally enforceable age verification measures for social media platforms in New Zealand.

Wedd’s bill is similar to the legislation passed in Australia in December 2024—the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill—which also banned social media for users under 16.