ROSEMARY ABBOTT | National
GONE GIRL
15-year-old Samantha Pendlebury, a student at Auckland’s elite Diocesan School for Girls, has today come face-to-face with something she’s rarely encountered in her privileged existence: state-induced disappointment.
“Ugh. How am I supposed to keep my friends jealous without showing them how much better my life is than theirs?” she asked, visibly distressed as she learned about a proposed law that could ban under-16s from using social media in New Zealand.
The bill, put forward by National MP Catherine Wedd and backed by the PM Christopher Luxon, would force social media companies to implement strict age verification measures. Although it’s currently only a member’s bill — meaning it would need to be drawn from the ballot to progress — Luxon has suggested the government may pick it up and fast-track it as official policy.
For Samantha, the implications are dire, especially given she attends one of the country’s elite schools as well and must be seen looking wealthy and her life better than others on Instagram.
“Like, what’s the point of going on our family holiday to Wanaka if I can’t post a story every hour?” she asked. “I literally spent half a day curating an outfit for my Lake Wanaka photo shoot in a few months.”
While politicians cite online safety and mental health concerns for young people as the motivation behind the bill, Samantha is more concerned with the threat it poses to her personal brand.
“Every year we go to Wanaka during term time,” she explained. “It’s a tradition for me to post a selfie with the caption ‘study break’, while everyone else is stuck at school. Now what? I just go and like… no one knows? My life is going to suck!”
More to come.
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