Ireland should consider social media ban for under-16s, says Cork cyber security expert

In a world where people spend an ever-increasing amount of time online, there are significant concerns regarding unsupervised access children may have to mobile phones and other smart devices.

New research published by CyberSafeKids reveals that 82% of children aged from eight to 12 have unsupervised access to smart devices in their bedrooms.

The findings, gathered from a survey of more than 2,000 primary school children, highlight a significant lack of parental engagement in monitoring online activities and a worrying lack of awareness of digital safety risks.

As illustrated in the CyberSafeKids study, the high percentage of children having access to smart devices increases the risk of being exposed to inappropriate sexual or violent content, or from strangers.

Their research also highlighted a gap in parental communication in relation to online safety.

“We’ve long seen a trend in our survey data highlighting a disconnect between children and their parents about what children are doing online,” CyberSafeKids CEO Alex Cooney said.

“We urgently need to provide better to parents so they feel more confident about engaging with their children about their online activity, setting limits around use and access, using s and even holding off on giving children devices or access to social media, if they feel their child is not ready."

Speaking to The Echo, Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, Fianna Fáil member of the European Parliament representing Ireland South said she was not surprised by the findings from CyberSafeKids.

“It’s quite clear the trend of younger children using their phone, setting up social media s, retaining their phone in their bedrooms, and using their phones constantly.

“Clearly we know the trend is only going in one direction and that is going upwards and to the extent that I’ve been concerned about this for quite a number of years.”

In her role in the European Parliament, Ms Ní Mhurchú sees first-hand that the issue of cybersecurity and protection of children online is a topic being confronted right across the continent.

Aaron Murphy is a manager in cyber security, privacy, and forensics at PwC based out of the Cork office. He experiences first-hand the potential online risks which are out there that children may be potentially exposed to.

Not surprised

Mr Murphy told The Echo: “As a parent of a 10-year-old, I’m fully aware of the proliferation of smart devices and how children can get access to the internet; 82% is obviously a very high figure, but I can’t say that I am surprised that it is so high.

“Part of the reason for this degree of unsupervised access is probably a lack of understanding of the risks that are associated with children having access to smart devices and the internet,” Mr Murphy said.

“What we need to is that a lot of these kids are very new to technology, and they don’t understand the risks.

“They have to be taught and educated on what it means to be on the internet, what it means to put something up on social media, what it means to accept a friend on Facebook or on the Xbox.

“Also, the type of data that they’re putting out there and the fact that it is permanent once it’s out there. They have to be careful to make sure that who they are sharing their data with and their information with is appropriate.”

In November 2024, the government in Australia approved a social media ban on under-16s. When this law takes effect, it will require certain platforms to take “reasonable steps” to that their s are 16 or over or face very significant fines.

Ban

When asked if Ireland should introduce a social media ban for under-16s similar to Australia, Mr Murphy said: “From a personal perspective and as a parent, the banning of social media for under-16s should be considered. If you look at it based on risk, I think the risks posed to children by being on social media outweighs the benefits.

“Just from seeing the horror stories of catfishing, sensitive photos being shared, etc. You also must consider that children are forming their own sense of self and trying to understand who they are at that age and social media can really warp what that looks like.

“Bullying is much easier on social media because people have direct access to the victim at any time in the day. Whereas before, without social media, it would be limited to when there is a physical presence.

“If you look at the risks, the negatives, for me personally, outweigh the benefits.”

Be it navigating social media, using online banking, or simply browsing the internet, having the knowledge to protect personal information and recognise potential threats is crucial.

The research by CyberSafeKids highlights a gap in parental communication about online safety. More than a third (36%) of children stated they had not talked to their parents at all in the past year about how to stay safe online and 18% reported never having such conversations. This lack of parental guidance can leave children ill-equipped to deal with, and highly vulnerable to, potential risks online.

Essential

Discussing the area of cyber safety and protecting young people online, Mr Murphy also feels that the education piece in of cyber protection, both for kids and adults alike, is absolutely essential.

“I think there should be mandatory online safety learning across the board, but it should be both for parents and children,” Mr Murphy said.

“The should be there to demonstrate how you can help your child navigate the relationship with technology and smart devices.

“It’s about understanding how to engage with the child, how to explain to them what the risks are. Then striking the balance between control and privacy.”

CyberSafeKids are asking the Government for fundamental changes to keep children safer online, including the introduction of a mandatory online safety education programme in schools. They are also calling on the major social media companies to engage more robustly in taking action to prevent the damage that is being done on their networks, prioritising the protection of children over maximising profits.

Sinn Féin councillor Michelle Gould, who also works as a teacher, told The Echo that social media companies should be placing more emphasis on child protection rather than making a profit.

“They don’t care about someone in the middle of the countryside on their phone at night, they are little fish to these people,” Ms Gould said.

“The onus should be on a lot of the social media companies. They are smart people and can have a way of restricting this.

“I do think there should be more pressure put on social media companies to actually enforce that.”