'I think a lot of the debate around [the nearly one million 16-24-year olds who are NEET*] has been framed in the wrong way as a fiscal problem. It is a fiscal problem, but it’s [also] a moral problem, it’s a social problem, it’s an economic problem. I think you’ve got a moral crisis.’
Alan Milburn, former Labour cabinet minister
*Not in Employment, Education or Training
All that geopolitical turmoil during the past week has somewhat eclipsed the growing debate about the impact of social media on young people. There is, however, quite a vigorous debate, particularly in the House of Lords, on whether the United Kingdom should follow Australia in banning under-16s from access: it's the subject which leads discussion in The Bigger Picture this week.
Taking a wider perspective, the lead article in The Times last Saturday featured Alan Milburn's review of what he describes as a ‘lost generation’ of 16-24-year olds who are not in employment, education or training; his comments also reference the addictive power of social media at several points.
He warns against placing too much emphasis on mental health concerns, commenting that both anxiety and depression are normal. However he also reflects, as shown in our opening quotation, that it's a moral problem — indeed, a moral crisis — as well. There's no doubt that this has been escalated considerably by the isolation and distortions brought about by excess social media exposure.
The new Children 's Minister Josh McAlister very much understands this challenge for a particularly insecure segment of adolescents: young people in care. He would like to see at least two reliable adult relationships for each care leaver to provide points of reference, and those who listened to Amol Rajan’s Radical podcast on foster carers will understand why this is so important.
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