Principal, Natalie Charles
The behavior and impact of Big Tech is in the news again this week after the landmark US ruling that found Meta and YouTube liable for deliberately designing addictive products and having failed to provide adequate warnings about the potential dangers of their platforms. This will come as absolutely no surprise to any of us who, as parents, have attempted to limit or withhold access to a device from a child or young person for an extended period of time – the response, in my experience at least, was akin to dealing with someone in possession of a substance disorder – unpleasant, dysregulated and emotionally charged.
The social/historical significance of this moment cannot be underestimated; much like tobacco companies, Meta and YouTube are finally being held accountable for engineering an addiction designed to trigger dopamine releases through their use of infinite scroll, push notifications, and "like” functions, ultimately prioritising profit over safety. It’s no secret that their own internal research revealed knowledge of the dangerous impact of their platform resulting in body image issues, depression and anxiety especially amongst younger users.
I know I sound like a broken record at times, but as the Principal of a girls’ school and the mother of a 17-year-old daughter, I take an intense interest in the universal social forces that impact our daughters. Some like the ice skating phenomenon that is Alysia Liu, are overwhelmingly positive whilst others like Meta and YouTube are at risk of having a material and deleterious effect on our girls’ wellbeing, learning and career choices, because of the way they amplify the kind of gender stereotypes we work hard to expose and disrupt in the so called “real world”.
The ‘Technology on Her Terms’ report produced by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 2024 warned that while digital technologies can enhance teaching and learning, when used intentionally and advisedly, they also present inherent risks due to our children’s social lives being increasingly played out on social media where all too often, algorithm-driven platforms amplify exposure to negative gender norms.
Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO cautions that “Ethical considerations must be considered in the design of these platforms. Social media should not confine women and girls to roles that limit their educational and career aspirations.” The UNESCO report cites Facebook’s own research, which found that 32% of teenage girls said that, when they felt bad about their bodies, Instagram made them feel worse. This situation is compounded by the rise of image-based sexual content, AI-generated deepfakes and ‘self-generated’ sexual imagery circulating on-line and in classrooms.
The results demonstrate the importance of greater investment in education – including media and information literacy – and smarter regulation of digital platforms, with Australia’s decision to ban social media for under 16s being a step in the right direction. Tellingly, jurors in the California case found Meta and YouTube acted with malice, oppression and fraud. Their verdict, reached by a 10-2 vote in favour of the plaintiff, shows that public perception of social media and its makers is shifting – now laying blame firmly at the feet of a multi-trillion-dollar industry that has for too long operated with minimal regulation.
Closer to home, our research informed decision to delay the onset of devices for the Year 7s to facilitate improved social connection, reduced anxiety, lowered cognitive load and stronger neural pathways has been a resounding success and we will continue to walk this path with intentionality and purpose, over the coming weeks and months. And in this we remain indebted to you for your ongoing support and trust.
Nil Magnum Nisi Bonum
Ms Natalie Charles
Principal