Social media: Friend or foe?

24-year-old Gilly Penny is part of an increasing number of young people who have unplugged from social media. 

“I loved social media, and I have for about 14 years. Just this year, I deleted Facebook, I deleted Instagram…I don't have any social media now,” the Christchurch Ara student said.

“I believe that it's highly addictive and it's detrimental to our society generally.”

Last week, a trial in America saw a successful claim against Meta and Google for intentionally making their platforms addictive. The lawsuit highlighted the harm that social media can have on young people. 

According to 2025 research (Meltwater/We Are Social), 79.1% of Kiwis are active social media users. 

Labour spokesperson for Science, Technology and Innovation, Reuben Davidson, said that New Zealand needs to catch up.

“We need to accept that the days of allowing those big platforms to regulate themselves should be over. 

“And it's up to responsible governments to step in with regulation and with legislation” 

Dr Dougal Sutherland, principal psychologist at Umbrella Wellbeing, said that social media use can be really damaging for people's mood and anxiety levels. 

“Prolonged use and being exposed to a sort of toxicity on there can lead to isolation and reinforcement of ideas and negative views about yourself.”

Vanessa Weenink, National MP for Banks Peninsula, is a part of Parliament's Education and Workforce Committee, which investigated the potential ban for under-16-year-olds using social media.

Weenink compared social media use to alcohol, tobacco and gambling, saying in both cases there is evidence of harm for young people. 

“You should be wary of things that can have impacts on your brain development.

“By signalling that actually this is something that you should limit… it should actually highlight that it is something that is important enough to be taken seriously.”

However, some young people are against banning social media. 

“It’s a bit too late…Social media is the way that we all talk to people and communicate…" 

It's very normal,” said student Hannah Muchena.

“I’m not under 16, but if I were, I would find that hard…I think keeping social media is fine,” was the opinion of 19-year-old Moana Moore. 

“I don't think banning something is the answer… I realise that for under-16s your brain is more susceptible to addiction and you have less control of getting out of that addiction, but I would also say that it's never too late” said 24-year-old Gilly Penny.  

“I think it wouldn't work, I think people are still gonna use social media” - 20-year-old Harrison Scott said.

Weenink said that it is not about banning, but about doing “everything, everywhere all at once”, to help empower the young people of New Zealand.