‘Enough is enough’: Nova host Wippa pushes ‘urgency’ for social media age restriction
The Albanese government’s plans for a nationwide social media ban for children announced this week has been widely welcomed, and Nova presenter Michael “Wippa” Wipfli has called for it to urgently be introduced.
Appearing on the latest episode of the Mumbrellacast this week, Wippa, who fronts the 36 Months campaign – representing the three years of crucial development between 13 and 16 that should be spent away from social media – said the news is a “great step forward”, but urged the government to push the age limit up to 16.
“I think that’s the appropriate age and anything below that to me would be a little bit of a disappointment,” Wippa said.
“There’s kids on the edge, there’s parents on the edge, and they need a lot of help right now.”
Albanese joined Wippa on the Nova breakfast show earlier this week where the prime minister suggested he is “on the higher side” of the discussed age limit. The breakfast host said that he was heartened by their conversation, given that Albanese suggested the legislation will move through in November.
“Through launching 36 Months, I found myself in conversations that are truly, truly hard to hear,” Wippa continued.
“We talk about anxiety, we talk about depression, and social media is an insecurity amplifier. That’s what it does. And if you’re feeling funny about something, it’ll find a way to reinforce that. And it’ll addict you to it, to searching for that insecurity. It’ll sell your attention span.
“There’s a place for phones. That’s not a problem. There’s a place for social media, but it just doesn’t exist in young minds between the age of, or under the age of 16.”
Listen to the full episode here.
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Neil Griffiths is the Managing Editor of Mumbrella. He joined the company in October 2023.
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Of course the fossilised radio hosts are begging for censorship and control over the internet, who even listens to the radio anymore? How else can “legacy” media compete with kids in their bedrooms, making podcasts, tiktok’s that pull numbers their outdated shows could never dream of? especially when those kids aren’t towing the approved “narrative”… 😉
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