Calls for more youth service funding so young people in Teesside spend less time online
Organisations who put on free activities say they're vitally important
Young people in Teesside are being encouraged to spend less time online as the summer holidays gets underway.
Organisations and charities are raising awareness about free activities as alternative ways for children to not 'doomscroll' social media.
Youth Music funds local projects across the region and Carol Reid, interim co-chief executive, said: "When it comes to music, it's often a place where young people are finding new music, they're connecting with others around their passions, they're looking at instrument tutorials to help them learn, they might be making music with music production software.
"I think the issue, you know, that a lot of people have identified already is the infinite scrolling. It's about making sure that young people have that balance in their lives, so youth music's priority isn't about decreasing screen time per se, but increasing the alternatives to it, particularly places where young people can be creative, in a safe space, with trusted adults linked to their favourite pastime, which is music.
"Sadly what's happened in the last 10, 15 years is on the one hand we've seen a massive rise in technology and social media. At the same time we've seen a massive decrease in investment into youth services. And so what that's led to is a real paucity of opportunities for young people, so it's not necessarily that they would have always wanted to be on the screen, but the opportunities available to them have decreased.
"For us it's not necessarily turning back the tide and going back in time to the good old days, but it's just about making sure that what's out there now is really fit for purpose for young people's needs. It's something that they can get really passionate about, it's a place where they can feel safe, and you know it's something that can draw on their interests and give them an alternative to being at home, on the screen, or even being at school.
"Lots of the young people that we work with perhaps might face barriers to accessing some of the provisions, we might have people that have got really severe anxiety and, they don't want to leave the house and kind of come to an unknown space. But these projects are just so amazing in terms of the environment that they create for young people and they feel safe and so that means that they want to come back.
"Alongside increases in confidence, there's the social aspect, young people making new friends, there's leadership opportunities, often young people will start on a project and a couple of years later, they're the ones that are teaching their peers. There's the musical skill development, so there's all sorts of skills and social kind of improvements that we see."
Musinc in Middlesbrough
Musinc in Middlesbrough is one of those places that benefits from the money.
They bring young musicians together every week through different sessions like Amplify and Band Jam.
10 year-old Frida, from Stockton, said: "I think the social media ban is actually a very good rule because now that technology is obviously increasing a lot, we should probably spend more of our time outdoors and interacting with people in person.
"I mean, I think projects like this are really beneficial because I like music and also it gives me something to do and we can interact with other people and make new friends. I think I've gained a lot, like I've made lots of friends and I can share my ideas and it's really fun. There's lots of things to do."
13 year-old Roderick, from Middlesbrough, said: "I think it's a bit unfair on some people because I know some close friends that cannot live without a mobile device because they say it's like part of their life. But for some people it should be very good as social media platforms can be very dangerous for young people.
"I can spend time with friends, I can make new friends, I can do my hobby and play music, and I can even practice at home, which reduces the screen time I use. I think I've gained a lot of confidence because I can now perform in front of a lot of people, as from before I could only perform like in front of my parents. I think I'll still be using some screens, but I think it'll definitely decrease significantly from last summer."
16 year-old Sophia, from Saltburn, said: "I think it's not going to be as effective as people think and I don't think it's useful. I think it's extremely helpful and it's such a good opportunity for people my age to gain new experiences in music, and being on stage and stuff helps us so much with my confidence. I think the more like band experiences like this I've got, the more I will be off screens."
Youth services funding
We're hearing about a huge need for more youth services across Teesside too as organisations say the 'arts' industry is underfunded.
Sammy Knight, music inclusion manager at Middlesbrough Council, runs Musinc and she said: "The social media ban I think it's probably not a good idea. I don't think it's actually going to work particularly well. And I think it's avoiding what the actual problem is and the problem is that the social media platforms need to be safer and actually young people are not the problem here. It's that the platforms are and the ban is targeting the wrong thing.
"These projects are hugely important. We bring so many young people together that play music, you sit in your bedroom, play music, and you might have your guitar or your keyboard and you sit and play, but actually music's meant to be a social activity and you should be meeting other people.
"I think it's so important to meet like-minded young people and make music together and go through those experiences of performing together and nights like this where actually everyone's together, and they're nervous together, and then they get through it togethe, they do the performance and they come out the other side and they're all bringing each other up and actually that whole kind of collective action really, really builds confidence.
"The youth service is so underfunded and the arts is so underfunded. We need more projects like this and we need more manpower to actually get to young people and be able to tell them what's going on because a lot of the time they don't know what's going on. They find out what's happening because of their parents, if the parents aren't kind of pushing them into doing creative things. It's expensive as well.
"Funded projects like us, it means that we can offer free places for any young people that need it and all of our activities are low cost and that is so vitally important for these young people, so they can actually come to something that's inexpensive and brings them together but without the funding, that's not possible and people will just be on their own on their phones because that's basically almost free entertainment."