Uploaded November 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The rise of social-media services, which have billions of users worldwide, has gone hand in hand with the use of smartphones. Few technologies have seen such rapid adoption. With concerns about several social problems coming to the fore in recent years, a variety of commentators have pointed to this new technology as an important cause. But in this case, does correlation really equal causation?
The speakers on this panel are:
Lord James Bethell - former health minister; member, House of Lords
Andrew Doyle - presenter, Free Speech Nation, GB News; writer and comedian; author, The New Puritans and Free Speech and Why It Matters
Timandra Harkness - journalist, writer and broadcaster; author, Technology is Not the Problem and Big Data: does size matter?; presenter, Radio 4's FutureProofing and How to Disagree
Sandy Starr - deputy director, Progress Educational Trust; author, AI: Separating Man from Machine
The Chair is Rob Lyons - science and technology director, Academy of Ideas; convenor, AoI Economy Forum; author, Panic on a Plate
This video was filmed and edited by WORLDwrite volunteers attending the Battle of Ideas Festival 24. These are the introductory speeches only. To avoid duplication, the full debate will feature on the Academy of Ideas YouTube channel shortly.
WORLDwrite volunteers filmed over 40 sessions at the Battle of Ideas 24. To edit, sound clean and prepare these videos for the Academy & WORLDwrite channels takes at least 2 days each. With no paid staff the charity needs your help to keep its edit suites switched on. Please chip in by hitting the thanks button below. Thank You!
The rise of social-media services, which have billions of users worldwide, has gone hand in hand with the use of smartphones. Few technologies have seen such rapid adoption. With concerns about several social problems coming to the fore in recent years, a variety of commentators have pointed to this new technology as an important cause. But in this case, does correlation really equal causation?
The speakers on this panel are:
Lord James Bethell - former health minister; member, House of Lords
Andrew Doyle - presenter, Free Speech Nation, GB News; writer and comedian; author, The New Puritans and Free Speech and Why It Matters
Timandra Harkness - journalist, writer and broadcaster; author, Technology is Not the Problem and Big Data: does size matter?; presenter, Radio 4's FutureProofing and How to Disagree
Sandy Starr - deputy director, Progress Educational Trust; author, AI: Separating Man from Machine
The Chair is Rob Lyons - science and technology director, Academy of Ideas; convenor, AoI Economy Forum; author, Panic on a Plate
This video was filmed and edited by WORLDwrite volunteers attending the Battle of Ideas Festival 24. These are the introductory speeches only. To avoid duplication, the full debate will feature on the Academy of Ideas YouTube channel shortly.
WORLDwrite volunteers filmed over 40 sessions at the Battle of Ideas 24. To edit, sound clean and prepare these videos for the Academy & WORLDwrite channels takes at least 2 days each. With no paid staff the charity needs your help to keep its edit suites switched on. Please chip in by hitting the thanks button below. Thank You!
