Kiwi kids tell politicians: please listen to us
More than 90 per cent of New Zealand’s children believe the world would be a better place if politicians listened to them, however six out of 10 Kiwi kids don’t trust adults and world leaders to make good decisions for children.
These are among the findings of a global Unicef survey of children to mark World Children’s Day on November 20.
It also found Kiwi kids are more likely to look up to an entertainer for inspiration than to their government or world leaders, and the Bieber, Taylor Swift, Barack Obama, and Katy Perry.
The survey, which polled 763 children in both urban and rural New Zealand, included boys and girls aged between 9 and 18, and results were weighted back to the national population proportion.
The survey found Kiwi kids spend most of their leisure time on social media, watching television, hobbies, and playing inside.
While laptops and smartphones are the most commonly used devices, television is still the most popular way to for children to get their news – followed by social media, radio, and the internet.
Natural disasters and threats to nature were among the top three things they worried being personally affected by – bullying or mistreatment was the other.
Wellington boy and budding cartoonist Walt Hamer, 12, echoed the survey’s findings, and the dangers of climate change made him worried for his future.
‘‘I get worried if I will inherit a healthy planet from the people who live in it at the moment. Children are basically just voiceless – we can’t vote, or make political decisions which might directly affect us.’’
Political corruption also con- cerned Walt, which he worries affects how strongly environmental issues are investigated.
However, it didn’t stop him from choosing Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern as the person he would invite to his birthday party.
‘‘It would also be interesting to talk to her because she has a young person’s perspective.’’
Vivien Maidaborn, Unicef NZ’s executive director, said: ‘‘If our young people are telling us that they don’t feel listened to, then we need to start listening. World Children’s Day is a chance for us to acknowledge the role young people play in our lives.’’