Question
In 1943, Churchill reportedly said: “We shape our buildings and afterwards our buildings shape us.” —[ Official Report , 28 October 1943; Vol. 393, c. 403.] Later, the academic John Culkin said, “We shape our tools, and thereafter our tools shape us.” Will the Minister assure the House that the Government will ensure that that trap is not fallen into as regards edtech and other forms of digital technology relating to our children?
Answer
My hon. Friend has asked a really great question to finish the statement on. In line with the quotes he shared, either we as a country will have young people who are disrupted by this technology, or we will need to choose to disrupt it so that it benefits children, young people and the whole country. We do have agency and control over these issues; when we believe that we do not, we end up in a dangerous place. The action that we are taking on education follows a series of other actions that the Government are taking to get ahead of the issue. I look forward to working with hon. Members across the House on further action in the future as the technology develops. We will need to ensure that we shape it so that it benefits our children, rather than having the disruption that it can cause impacting children’s outcomes.57% vibes
Verdict: AMBER (32/100)
The reply responds to the question's concern in general terms. It says government has a role and will work to shape these issues for children's benefit. However, it does not give the assurance that was asked for, and it points to no concrete mechanism beyond a vague reference to existing education action and working with Members. The answer is mostly hedged, so the person who asked would likely need to press for specifics.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will the Minister give an assurance that the Government will ensure that edtech and other digital technology relating to children does not shape children in the way the quoted 'trap' describes, i.e. that the tools do not end up shaping the people who use them? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply affirms that government has agency over these issues and will 'ensure that we shape it so that it benefits our children' (seq 7), which speaks to the question's concern, but it never gives the requested assurance outright and names no concrete mechanism beyond a vague reference to 'the action that we are taking on education' (seq 5) and 'working with hon. Members' (seq 6). The phrasing 'we will need to ensure' is aspirational rather than an unambiguous commitment. |