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Bans on social media and phones - what is the evidence?

We explore different approaches to social media and phone bans around the world.

Phones have become an essential part of most people’s everyday lives, and debates about them in schools - as well as teenagers’ access to social media - are internationally hot topics.

³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ journalist Hayley Clarke joins us in the studio to talk through different approaches to social media and phone bans in schools around the world. We also hear from students in France and the US about how they would feel about potential bans.

Hannah Ritchie, a ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ journalist, explains the situation in Australia, where the government says it will introduce "world-leading" legislation to ban children under 16 from social media.

Plus we hear from two professors on opposing sides of the debate, and ask what is the scientific evidence that shows phones and social media are bad for us?

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
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Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, Hayley Clarke and Emilia Jansson
Video journalist: Adam Chowdhury
Editor: Verity Wilde

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17 minutes

Last on

Fri 6 Dec 2024 03:50GMT

Broadcasts

  • Thu 5 Dec 2024 18:50GMT
  • Fri 6 Dec 2024 03:50GMT

Podcast