It was a typical Thursday night at a Mount Maunganui skatepark when 16-year-old Israel Cameron whipped out his trusty brick ZTE phone. This throwback device may not have internet access or fancy apps, but it gets the job done with calls and texts. Israel, along with his buddies Isaac and Connor, opted to steer clear of social media for the time being. Why? Well, they’d rather spend their time surfing, skating, and jamming in their band, Go Getter. Plus, they witnessed one of their friends spend a whopping nine hours a day on social media during the recent school break. Yikes!
The trio’s decision to ditch smartphones and social media is pretty rare, considering a survey found that 95 percent of New Zealanders aged 15 and up are glued to their screens. The debate over the impact of screen time and social media on young people is ongoing, with New Zealand even considering a ban on social media for those under 16. However, Israel, Isaac, and Connor are taking matters into their own hands, choosing to live in the moment rather than scrolling endlessly on their devices. It’s not always easy, though. Israel felt left out on the school bus because he couldn’t keep up with group chats on his old-school brick phone. And Isaac, well, he struggled to control his time on Instagram, feeling like he was wasting precious hours.
Despite the challenges, these teens are determined to stick to their guns. They even had a $1,000 challenge going on, but it all went out the window once they embraced their brick phones. Connor’s dad, Sam Cummins, believes in gradual exposure to social media, allowing kids to make sensible decisions as they grow. And Ari’s parents? Well, they set strict boundaries on screen time, with Nicola Taylor even implementing a phone basket rule for her son’s basketball team hangouts. But the question remains – when will these teens finally cave and join the smartphone craze? Israel plans to make the switch once he leaves home, while Isaac wants to hold onto his brick phone for as long as possible. As for Connor, he’s a bit wary of falling into the smartphone addiction trap but knows he’ll have to get one eventually. For now, they’ll continue enjoying life without the constant buzz of notifications and likes.