Social media causes “no finish of points” as it's “virtually unattainable to maintain observe” of it, the headteacher of Molly Russell’s secondary college has instructed an inquest.
Sue Maguire instructed North London Coroner’s Court docket that Hatch Finish Excessive College didn't “current a stance” that college students mustn't use social media, however mentioned it creates “challenges… we merely didn’t have 10 years in the past or 15 years in the past”.
She mentioned Molly’s demise in November 2017 had come as a “full and horrible shock”, however she added that the college had warned college students concerning the “risks of social media for a very long time”.
Giving proof from the witness field on Wednesday, Ms Maguire mentioned: “Our expertise of younger folks is that social media performs an enormous, dominant position of their lives and it causes no finish of points.
“However we don’t current a stance that they need to not use it – but it surely presents challenges to colleges that we merely didn’t have 10 years in the past or 15 years in the past.
“There’s a stage the place I need to say it’s virtually unattainable to maintain observe of social media, however we have now to try to we have now to reply to the data as we obtain it.”
Requested by the Russell household’s lawyer, Oliver Sanders KC, whether or not the college was conscious of the suicide and self-harm associated content material accessible to college students like Molly on websites reminiscent of Instagram, Ms Maguire mentioned: “On the time, we had been shocked once we noticed it.
“However to say that we had been utterly shocked could be fallacious as a result of we had been warning younger folks concerning the risks of social media for a very long time.”
Deputy headteacher Rebecca Cozens, who can be head of safeguarding on the college, instructed the inquest that after younger folks had gone “down the rabbit gap” on social media, it was a “deep one”.
Mr Sanders requested the witness if she was conscious that Molly was in a position to entry the fabric she did earlier than her demise. Ms Cozens replied: “To not that extent, no.”
Questioned on whether or not there was an consciousness of the kind of materials Molly had engaged with, Ms Cozens mentioned: “I don’t suppose at the moment an consciousness of the depth of it and the way rapidly it could snowball… and the depth then, while you’re taking place that rabbit gap it's a deep one.”
The pinnacle of well being and wellbeing at Instagram’s mum or dad firm Meta and the pinnacle of neighborhood operations at Pinterest have each apologised on the inquest for content material Molly considered.
Meta government Elizabeth Lagone mentioned she believed posts which the Russell household argued “inspired” suicide had been secure when the teenager considered them.
Pinterest’s Judson Hoffman instructed the inquest the location was “not secure” when Molly used it.
Coroner Andrew Walker instructed the Russell household he could be delivering his conclusions by the top of the week.