STUDENTS at a Malvern school would support measures preventing young people’s access to social media and don’t think the voting age should be changed.
West Worcestershire MP Dame Harriett Baldwin led a meeting with students at Dyson Perrins Academy who were feeding back views on two crucial subjects that will directly affect them.
The students had quizzed their classmates on the proposals to limit social media usage for people under the age of 16 as well as plans to lower the voting age.
Pupils from years seven, eight and nine then collated the responses and fed them back to their MP.
Dame Harriett said: “Parliament is debating issues which directly affect the young people at Dyson Perrins and I asked them to canvass views so I can make sure that their views are heard and understood.
“The students shared their concerns about the harm that social media can do but felt that mobile phones are important for getting information and keeping in touch with parents or carers.
“Like most schools, mobile phone usage is not allowed during the school day and the students said they would welcome measures which prevented younger people from being able to access certain types of social media when they get home.
“There was some feedback of people being able to access troubling information online and it was very useful to have this direct testimony from young people.
“Earlier in the year, parents wrote to me in their droves calling for action to limit social media access for local people and it’s something that I would support.
“The Dyson Perrins students also suggested that they didn’t feel a change in the voting age was a good idea, or that it would encourage better political engagement, and I was grateful that they took the time to find out the facts on two important issues and share them with me.
“The Government has been vacillating on this issue for many months and under pressure from Opposition MPs, it has now pledged to implement some much-needed protections to protect our young people – something that parents and pupils all think is a good thing.”
