Harmful effects of social media witnessed ‘daily’ in schools, says Minister for Education

The harmful consequences of social media are being experienced by schoolchildren on a daily basis, Minister for Education Norma Foley has warned.

She said children and young people in Ireland are among “our most voracious users of online and social media”.

“While there are many uses and benefits involved, I am deeply concerned by the harmful and deleterious consequences that over-consumption of social media and harmful online content can have for children and young people,’ she said.

“These consequences are unfortunately witnessed on a daily basis in Irish schools, and principals, school staff, parents and students often share their concerns and experiences with me. Tackling this issue will require a whole-of-society response, and I am determined that my department will play its role,” she said.

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Her concerns are contained in a letter last month to the newly appointed Online Safety Commissioner, Niamh Hodnett, in which Ms Foley expressed support for regulation which will “bring about positive change”.

Ms Foley’s comments come as a new survey indicates that more than one in four primary schoolchildren aged 8 to 12, and 40 per cent of secondary schoolchildren aged 12 to 16, have experienced cyberbullying in the last school year.

The figures are contained in the CyberSafeKids’ annual Trends and Usage Report, published on Tuesday, which surveyed more than 5,000 children between September 2022 and June 2023.

The Online Safety Commissioner is drawing up a new binding online safety code aimed at reducing harmful content online and will require social media platforms to take measures to do so. A failure to comply may lead to criminal or civil sanctions.

In her response to the Minister for Education, Ms Hodnett stated that her office was consulting on a draft online safety code in the autumn, while next year it will be monitoring for compliance and will “take enforcement action, if necessary”.

[ Quarter of children aged 8 to 12 experienced cyberbullying in the last year, report finds ]

The office also aims to focus on media and digital literacy, putting a contact centre in place for parents, school leaders and others.

She added that having digital citizenship – such as online safety, civility and digital literacy – on the curriculum for both primary and second level would reach all children, while mindful that the curriculum was “busy”.

Ms Foley has separately backed a “no smartphone” pledge for primary schools, reported by The Irish Times last July, under which parents agree on a voluntary basis to avoid giving uncontrolled access to devices to their children until second level.

She said she was keen to see if the move – adopted by parents’ associations at all eight primary schools in Greystones, Co Wicklow – could be replicated in schools and classrooms around the country.

Ms Foley said at the time her department’s research into cyberbullying found that parents and children were “terrified by the wild west world of phones” and that schools should provide a “safe and secure” setting for young people to excel in.