Social Media: Has technology transformed childhood or hijacked it?

Today, children have access to cutting-edge technology that their parents never dreamed of. At the same time, they’re becoming more and more addicted to their screens and influenced by algorithms, losing valuable opportunities for physical play and authentic interaction. 

As nations like Australia look to ban social media for youth under 16, this debate questions the motivations of the tech giants behind it all. Are they trying to empower the next generation or simply sell to it? 

In this debate moderated by Imran Garda, guests Payal Arora, Christopher Ferguson, Douglas Rushkoff and Jean Twenge discuss whether our children are being handed the tools to create and thrive in an interconnected world, or being used as currency in an attention economy.