Youth calls for re-evaluation of members bill to protect under 16s from social media harm

By Taara Malhi, Youth Press Gallery, Youth Parliament 2025

Photo Caption: Prime Minister Rt Hon Christopher Luxon, Jasper Rhodes Youth MP, and David MacLeod MP

Jasper Rhodes, 16, is David MacLeod’s Youth MP 2025. Passionate, motivated, and inspiring are three words that describe Rhodes. He works to uplift his community, peers, and himself by working tirelessly to make the voices of young people heard.

Rhodes has been diligently working on a survey to investigate the opinions of young people regarding online safety. He hopes to get around one thousand respondents, nationwide. This survey dives deep, looking into demographics, feelings, actions, and solutions, elevating the voices of young people. It also looks into the under-16s social media ban, a topical issue and one that many young people are passionate about. It’s also the most important conversation to include young people in, as they are the ones being impacted.

Rhodes plans to use the survey findings to fuel conversations and impacts in his Parliamentary Working Group, which focuses on Online Safety, submission at Youth Parliament in July.

Jasper Rhodes, like many young people, acknowledges the harms of social media.

“The best way to tackle it [online safety] is through collaboration. Collaboration with the social media companies, they need to be limiting harmful content. Collaboration between parents and teachers in terms of educating our young people and young people themselves to be engaged with the decision making process. Then of course, the Government to fund and support the education”

Rhodes’s proposed approach has a strong emphasis on education, how we need to harness it and make it accessible to young people. He understands the importance of education, how it is empowering for young people and their futures.

When asked “If you could be prime minister for a day, what would you do?” Rhodes confidently explained his plan.

“I would make public transport free for students. One hundred thousand students catch the bus, too and from school everyday and that comes at such a cost to families. I also found that having accessible public transport increases attendance, because when you’re able to get to school you’re more likely to go. So that aligns with the Government’s education outcome goals.”

Students use public transport to travel to university more than other modes of travel (41.1%) and spend an average of $100 on public transport per month, according to a recent report¹. This is a significant portion of many households' incomes, and can force families to make the impossible decision of choosing to feed their children over paying for transport to classes, even though this will impact their child's education and future.

Outside of his role as a Youth MP, Rhodes plays and coaches football. He loves academics and the arts, and he loves giving back to his community. Rhodes is honoured to be able to use Youth Parliament as an opportunity to do so. His horizons for his future spread wide, from politics to graphic design, Rhodes is an all-rounder. It’s difficult to understand what could keep someone motivated and inspired with such a tireless lifestyle.

Rhodes shares his secret.

“I am constantly inspired by my parents who, despite working full-time jobs, dedicate their time to give back to their community and that’s something I love about them and something I’ve learnt from them.”

Rhodes is constantly motivated by seeing how hardworking and caring his parents are, and aims to give back to the community the same way they do. Rhodes wants to create a better Aotearoa New Zealand, where young people can feel safe online and access education conveniently.

^{1 Source: Costs of Going to University in Aotearoa New Zealand}