I get the impression that MEP Fidias Panayiotou’s recent actions, in response to the Ministry of Education’s decision to ban mobile phone use by students during school hours, including breaks, are driven more by personal gain and a desire to make a splash.
At a protest event he organised, where he invited students to attend, Mr. Panayiotou asked them if they agreed with the ban on mobile phones, to which all the students responded, “No, we don’t agree.”
The MEP then posed the following question to the Ministry of Education: “Shouldn’t someone ask them?”
Yes, Mr. Panayiotou, they should be asked, but not in this way. Instead of shouting in the streets over this issue, while society grapples with far more serious problems, why not visit schools, gather the students in a room, and ask them meaningful questions?
What do they actually do on their phones during breaks? How do they feel when holding their phones, and what emotions arise when they are without them?
What do they see on social media, and how are they influenced by what they see? How many hours do they spend on their phones, and does this hold them back from engaging in other activities they could be doing?
You’d learn a lot from their answers.
If they are simply spending their break time scrolling through social media without interacting with those around them, what is the benefit?
They have their phones in their hands all day long. Let’s take a moment to observe society as a social experiment.
In cafés, groups of five friends will all be on their phones. Families go out for meals or coffee and don’t communicate with each other because they’re constantly glued to their devices.
Is this the society we want?
However, the problem isn’t just the lack of communication caused by excessive social media use.
Young people—and not just the young—feel a constant insecurity about how they appear on social media, comparing themselves to the “perfect” lives others seem to lead, especially influencers.
Beauty, expensive cars, wealth—these things affect their mental health, and they often can’t filter whether what they see is real or fake.
These are the issues that should concern you, Mr. Panayiotou. If you truly care about the youth and where society is headed, do something meaningful.
It’s not all about followers, likes, and spectacle. Solving problems requires seriousness and expertise.
What are we really concerned with—our society’s future or satisfying personal ambitions?
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