Re: Online Safety Bill
 

He is accessible on social media if you wish to politely let him know your views.

This mornings Thought For The Day was by Brian Draper who is an Associate Lecturer of the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity.

Mr Draper believes that it's sad that it's taken the death of a child to spark the debate about whether children should have non child smartphones.

Over half of 13 year old reported seeing hard-core msyoginistic material on social media and the earlier a child gets a phone, the higher the chances of them suffering from depression & anxiety. Their childhood ends the minute they get a smartphone because it distracts them from drawing, reading and playing.

He found himself apologising to his son and explaining that he just didn't know how addictive the technology would be when he first got one. His son responded that his generation needed a year away in the mountains to detox and learn how to live again.

He went on to say that this where the spiritual question kicks in because it's not just about damage limitation. The onus is on adults to lead a way back to life ourselves by limiting our own digital overconsumption now that we know the effects and learning to live well within & without our technology.

Lent starts next week when Christians recall Jesus going into the desert for 40 days to a place beyond distraction to work out what life in it's fullness really meant.

He has started small by banishing phones in his bedroom. As a Christian his source is God, but whatever one believes in, it's worth asking what is the source of my life, love, energy, joy if it's not a phone? What gets me up in the morning? What was I made for?

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Jesus had a smart phone? Are you reading an electronic version of the Bible?

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

What the f**k has god to do with it?

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Nothing, just another excuse to further an agenda.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

To be fair I'm sure most 13 year olds will do their own searching for porn and not 'accidently coming across on it' on social media. Also I'm sure that's not the reason for their anxiety and depression either.

Do I think kids should have mobile phones? To me that's a stupid question. I think they should have them but I also think they should be banned in schools. Then it's on the parents more so, and that's not a bad thing. Other than that, there's nothing else you can do or stop.

Education is everything and not banning everything because a minority of weak minded Gen Z/A's / weirdos that are upset or offended over the slightest thing because it's trendy or whatever.

Question how it's got to this point. That there are people are just soo pathetic these days that just can't seem to cope with anything... Where did it go wrong?

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

I think that a parent whose child has been murdered will be infinitely more than 'offended'.

---------- Post added at 12:40 ---------- Previous post was at 12:38 ----------


I'll ask again. What is this 'agenda' that you repeatedly refer to?

It's all in the post as to why Brian Draper felt it appropriate to involve God and why it's also pertinent to those who don't believe in God.

I also think it's inappropriate to use a thinly veiled expletive in the same sentence as God too. Note the correct capitalisation as well.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

I'm happy to correct capitalisation, Please do not use asterisks to circumvent the swear filter - offending word removed god.
Happy now?

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Most schools (at least around here) already ban the use of mobile phones in the school, and have for a few years.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Yes, this has been mentioned in a lot of the discussions about this. It seems that the bereaved mother wants a more uniform approach rather than an ad hoc approach as it's currently down to the discretion of each school.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

You can’t ban kids from having mobile phones.

Would you ban kids from having tablets?

Would you ban kids from having a PC?

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

OMG you have just added fuel to the fire ;)

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Of course you can. If her campaign is successful in persuading our elected representatives that a ban is appropriate then they will pass a law banning U16's from having an adult mobile smartphone.

The only phones they will be able to have will be a child smartphone or a basic phone and probably not at school.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

You're in fantasy land now, never going to happen.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Completely unenforceable!

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Richard, the technology already exists here’s just one example

https://parentshield.co.uk

This can be device or SIM only