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RESEARCH AND INTERVIEWS
From physical health to emotional development, smartphones are reshaping childhood in ways no generation has faced before. This page brings together national and international research, along with local expert interviews, to help families, educators, and communities understand the impacts—and make informed choices.
EVIDENCE
• Damages young people’s eyes
• Contributes to obesity in youth
• Prevents youth from playing outside
• Harms development of young people’s spines
• Disrupts sleep for youth
• Becomes addictive
• Reduces children’s academic performance
• Alters the structure of young people’s brains
• Drives a huge increase in cyberbullying
• Increases depression and anxiety in youth
• Intensifies loneliness in youth
• Raises the likelihood of self-harm
• Exposes children to sexual and offensive content
• Pressures young people to send sexual images of themselves
• Makes children vulnerable to sexual abuse and grooming
OPPORTUNITY COST
• For the first time in human history, children spend more time on devices than playing in the physical world
• OECD data from 2018 shows New Zealand youth use digital devices for 42 hours per week, surpassing the global average of 35
INTERVIEWS WITH THE EXPERTS
Dr Samantha Marsh
Screen Use Researcher - University of Auckland
Let's take action to protect our kids' mental health from social media
PHYSICAL HEALTH
Dr Rasha Altaie
Paediatric Opthomologist
Screens and eyesight - What parents need to know
Julie Cullen
Paediatric Physiotherapist
Latest recommendations for screen use in schools
Celia Hogan
Outdoor Education Expert
Let's talk about the paradox of raising children in the digital age
SEXUAL HEALTH
Holly Brooker
Parenting Place & Makes Sense
Co-Founder
How can we better protect our children in a digital age?
Rob Cope
Our Kids Online Speaker
How can we keep our children safe online?
SOCIAL AND SOCIETAL IMPACT
Dr. Alex Bonham
Play Expert and Politician
How are modern cities and modern technologies changing the landscape of childhood?
Ann Langis
Play Expert Educational Consultant & Co-founder of Conscious kids
How do smartphones impact on our tamariki?
Cecilia Robinson
Tend Health CEO
Lets raise the minimum age for smartphones to 16!
MENTAL HEALTH AND BRAIN FOCUS
Nathan Wallis
Neuroscience Educator
To delay or not to delay? what does the latest research indicate?
Camila Dixon
Social Media Reform Advocate
Raise the minimum legal age for social media access to 16?
Rory Birkbeck
Safesurfer CEO
Why is it important to ensure internet safety for our children?