Malindi Maclean: Outward Bound chief executive on Gen Z wanting to reduce screen time

Research has shown Gen Z does see the benefits of putting down their phones. 

Outdoor education organisation Outward Bound surveyed participants from the last five years, aged 20 and under, and found 80% of them wanted to reduce their screen time. 

93% say they feel more productive when they aren’t on their phones. 

Outward Bound chief executive Malindi Maclean tells Heather du Plessis-Allan putting phones down gives teens an opportunity to rediscover meaningful connection and engage with others on a different level. 

With Gen Z themselves saying they want to be on their phones less, Maclean tells Heather she’d like to see social media banned for those under the age of 16, like over in Australia.  

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
That we've got some research on gen Z and screen time,
and you know how I feel about screen time. Apparently
the young kids themselves actually see the benefit in putting
down their phones. Outward Bound surveyed young people aged twenty
and under who actually went on their outward bound courses
in the last five years. Eighty percent of them four
and five want to reduce their screen time ninety three

(00:20):
percent so they feel more productive when they aren't on
their phones. Now, outward Bound's chief executive Melinda McLain is
with us right now. Hey, Melndy Kildy here, But how
are you? I'm very well, thank you. Did any of
this surprise you at all?

Speaker 2 (00:33):
Not at all. But it's actually really exciting to have
some evidence to back up what we've been saying about
disconnecting from social media and in screen time on an
outward bound course.

Speaker 1 (00:44):
Right do you think which brings me to this?

Speaker 2 (00:47):
Right?

Speaker 1 (00:48):
Do you think that this is representative of all gen
zs Because kids who go on outward Bound I feel
like they are already not representative of most kids.

Speaker 2 (00:57):
Yeah, and that's possibly quite a common misc conception. So
outward Bound we are. It is a small sample. It's
a small sample. Of the New Zealand population that come
on one of our courses, but they are fairly representative
and it's not all privileged kids whose parents are paying
for them to come on a course. We've got a
really big MAXI of students who come from all over

(01:18):
the country. Some come on a scholarship program, some come
through community partnership programs, and yeah, some of them are
supported by their parents to come. So while we are
just gipping the stick into and to take a little
test of the young people who come on our courses,
it's a pretty great environment to see what happens when
you have a proper digital deatop.

Speaker 1 (01:39):
I was Melindi, No, I was not thinking that they
were necessarily privileged. I was thinking that they just kind
of a little bit outdoorsy. Though, am I also making
the wrong assumption there?

Speaker 2 (01:48):
Yeah, I think you would be. I think I mean
the thing without bound is it's pretty accessible to a
really wide range of young people. And actually it's not
about coming and getting into the outdoors and learning how
to kayak and learning how to rock climate. It's a
journey to learn about yourself and sort of rediscover who
you are and build resilience and connection and so it's

(02:12):
for all young people who want to achieve those goals.
And that's what we actually find with the disconnects from
social media and devices. It's actually something that's been part
of our courses forever. It's only just become a benefit,
a real benefit in the last couple of decades. Is
this has become a real problem for young people. But
when you actually put your phone down and in the

(02:34):
moment with a group of other young people who are
also really in the moment, it's an opportunity for them
to really rediscover meaningful connection and engage with people on
a totally different level.

Speaker 1 (02:45):
Why aren't they just putting their phone down? What's the problem?

Speaker 2 (02:49):
Well, I think we all know the answer to that.
I mean, it's an addiction addictive device. It's designed to
the addictive. It's I'm a big advocate of adults being
able to make those choices themselves. That for young people,
we need to be thinking about age appropriate risk.

Speaker 1 (03:08):
Would you would you go for the sixteen the band
age sixteen like Ossie's doing?

Speaker 2 (03:13):
Absolutely?

Speaker 1 (03:14):
Yes, Melinda, you speak in my language. Wouldn't you just
do it tomorrow? If I could? Wouldn't you?

Speaker 2 (03:20):
Well? What I really like about the Prime minister. Australian
Prime minister's approach is he's talked about how the onus
is going to be on social media platforms rather than
on parents or young people, and that's a rare acknowledgment
of the power, the addictive power of their technologies in
what it's actually doing. So, you know, I think a
straight talking Australian getting up and saying that he's calling

(03:42):
time on the harm is pretty inspiring across the ditch.

Speaker 1 (03:46):
Yeah, I'm with you on that, MELINDI thank you very much.
I really appreciate your time. That's Malinda McLain, who's the
CEO of Outward Bound. For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive,
listen live to news talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays,
or follow the PODCAS cast on iHeartRadio