Debating Social Media Bans for Children and Youth: Agency, Information and Wellbeing (SIG-USE/Oceania)

Description

Governments around the world are increasingly proposing or enacting social media bans for children and young people. Framed as a response to concerns about wellbeing, safety, and mental health, these policies raise complex questions about information access, rights, literacy, and agency. This interactive event, jointly organised by ASIS&T SIG-USE & Oceania Chapter, features a conversation between two leading scholars whose work critically examines how people engage with information and technology across the life course. Distinguished Professor Lisa M. Given (RMIT University, Australia) contributes a long-standing and influential perspective on human information behaviour, technology use, and socially responsive design, grounded in interdisciplinary research focused on social change and diverse communities. Dr Alex Beattie (Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand) brings expertise in digital wellbeing, disconnection, and youth digital agency, with recent research and public commentary directly engaging with social media age restrictions and their unintended consequences for young people. Rather than a formal presentation, this webinar will take the form of a moderated dialogue, followed by active discussion with the audience. Participants are encouraged to bring questions, perspectives, and experiences to this timely and thought-provoking exchange.