Holding social media to account

The Coroner’s office is investigating what contribution Instagram made to the tragic death of three young women as we wait for the release of a draft online content regulation framework

Mōrena and welcome to The Bulletin for Thursday, October 6, by Anna Rawhiti-Connell. Presented in partnership with Z Energy.

In today’s edition: the $22,000 increase in interest repayment costs; government warned about human rights breaches in emergency housing years ago; support for co-governance from council candidates, but first, attempts to hold social media accountable.

The Coroner’s office is investigating what contribution Instagram made to the tragic death of three young women (Image: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

“Should my kids be on social media?”

Whenever I write about social media, I get messages from friends asking that very question. “I have no idea” is my standard response. Most days I’m with Jonathan Haidt who wrote Yes, social media really is undermining democracy.  But I don’t know if that’s top of mind for 14-year-olds and I didn’t grow up knowing only a world where my online and real world social lives were enmeshed. I also think adults writing about social media sometimes lean into moral panic and don’t really understand internet culture. Case and point this week: the NyQuil Chicken saga on TikTok. You'll need to read that, I don't have enough words.

Social media platforms know about the harm they cause

Quandaries about moral panic aside, the platforms are causing harm and they know it. Yesterday, RNZ reported that there’s been a 168% increase in admissions of 10-14 year olds to hospital for eating disorders. In 2021, the Wall Street Journal detailed how internal Facebook research showed Instagram can make body image issues worse for some young people. Instagram is also becoming more like TikTok, showing you more content dictated by algorithmic learning and less from your social circle. As Alex Casey found out, it took 60 seconds from signing up as a 13-year-old boy on TikTok to being served content from a guy who once said “if a man slept with 20 girls or 200 girls, he is still the man. If a woman slept with 200 men, she is worthless”.

New Zealand coroners office launches investigation into Instagram concerns

In the last week, there’s been examples here and abroad of coroners looking to hold social media to account following the tragic deaths of young women. Last week, a coroner's court in the UK ruled that harmful online content on Instagram and Pinterest contributed to the death of 14-year-old Molly Russell. Yesterday the Herald revealed that the Coroner's office here has launched a joint inquiry into suspected suicides by three young women after initial investigations raised concerns about material they viewed on Instagram. This week, the US Supreme Court made a move to investigate Section 230 immunity which shields social media companies from legal responsibility for what users post on their sites.

Consultation of draft regulatory framework for online content due

Regulation is a slippery fish but the consensus from those involved with content regulation in New Zealand is that what we currently have is inadequate. Recent research from the Classification Office found one in five had personally seen content online that encouraged suicide, self-harming or eating disorders. The Department of Internal Affairs is currently reviewing our regulatory framework for media and online content. According to its timeline, public consultation on the draft was meant to be underway sometime between September and November this year so we should be expecting it any day now.

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The impact of the OCR rise 

Kiwibank economists have described the impact of yesterday’s OCR rise to 3.5% as “profound''. The 3% rise in most interest rates over the last year means repayment costs have risen from $20,000 to $44,000 a year on a $800,000 home loan. The full Kiwibank commentary is here. As the Herald’s Jenée Tibshraeny reports (paywalled), many banks are now stress testing potential borrowers using an 8% interest rate. House prices may be falling but interest.co.nz's David Hargreaves notes that the Reserve Bank indicated that the strong funding position of banks to date means that recent wholesale interest rate increases haven’t yet been reflected in retail interest rates. “Bank funding conditions are expected to become less accommodative”. 

“We cannot support this argument”

RNZ’s Sam Olley reports on documents that show the government was warned emergency housing law changes put human rights in jeopardy and that officials deliberately stopped Ministry of Social Development clients' rights becoming "common knowledge" - fearing that the  motels being used would stop taking people in. Then-director of public health at the Ministry of Health, Caroline McElnay also communicated the ministry’s lack of support writing "The argument is that the risk of 'market exit' justifies the removal of human rights (and as a consequence, health protections). We cannot support this argument. We think the Crown is responsible for ensuring adequate housing for everyone."

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Their support ensures we can continue to employ and commission diverse voices covering stories from a range of perspectives and make them freely available to all. From Spinoff stalwarts Toby Manhire and Alex Casey to young writers like Charlotte Muru-Lanning and Shanti Mathias, our journalists and contributors do valuable work that is only possible with the support of readers like you. If you can, support the team and donate today.

Survey shows majority support for increasing or maintaining levels of co-governance

A Newsroom survey of local government candidates shows 29% of candidates would vote on council for more co-governance with Māori and 32% would maintain existing co-governance arrangements. Only 14% would vote to reduce the extent of local co-governance. Both the Dunedin and Christchurch city councils have recently exited Communities 4 Local Democracy, the group spearheading Three Waters opposition. Dunedin mayor Aaron Hawkins and Christchurch’s Lianne Dalziel both said their respective motions to quit the group were to restore relations with iwi. A third council, Queenstown Lakes, has also quit the group. Outgoing mayor Jim Boult said the decision was because “we didn’t like some of the statements coming from Communities 4 Local Democracy. It didn’t sit right with us.”

Click and collect

• The weather - the Desert Road is closed and it’s down to -4C in Te Anau.

• Oranga Tamariki staff to strike.

• AUT staff change their strike plans after university threatens to dock pay. 

• Women still waiting for free breast cancer screening age to be lifted. 

• Supreme Court decision on Peter Ellis case due on Friday.

Got some feedback about The Bulletin, or anything in the news? Get in touch with me at thebulletin@thespinoff.co.nz.

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