I don’t want to give my child a smartphone, but I’m worried he’ll feel left out if I don’t – The Irish Times

My oldest has started secondary school and the pressure to get him a smartphone is growing. Given the risks of cyberbullying and inappropriate content, I don’t want to give him one. However, I’m also worried that I’ll end up isolating him.

Your question is probably the one that most concerns parents as their children continue their school years. For a long time, society has felt powerless in the face of technological advances affecting our children. Hopefully that will change.

Parents, schools and technology companies all have a role to play in protecting young people from harmful content

The new online safety commissioner has drawn up a legally binding online safety code aimed at reducing harmful online content. It will require social media platforms to take appropriate action; Failure to comply with the Code may result in criminal or civil penalties.

In addition, Education Minister Norma Foley has explicitly stated that she wants to ban smartphones from schools.

I am sure that the rapidly increasing number of children with mental health problems is directly linked to exposure to inappropriate content and unrestricted access to the Internet. How to stop the flood of inappropriate online content targeting children is an issue that governments around the world are still struggling with.

Parents have the option to give their children a smartphone or not. If so, you can help prevent them from accessing inappropriate websites by setting up the phone with parental controls enabled.

Alternatively, parents who are concerned about their children’s whereabouts can purchase a two-way tracker watch for between 5 and 15 euros per month, which shows parents where the child is via a GPS tracker. The phones have text and voice/video capabilities, but no internet access.

We must not only protect young people, but also educate them to navigate this uncertain world. Relationships and Sex Education has been updated for Junior Cycle students and the new RSE and SPHE curriculum has recently been updated for Senior Cycle and Primary students.

Unfortunately, many teachers are uncomfortable dealing with topics related to pornography and the content of inappropriate websites.

Their unions have responded to the announcement of the new subject requirements by saying that no teacher can be required to deal with students on these matters without their express consent.

Ultimately, it is important that parents address these sensitive topics at home.

Sometimes parents and children find it difficult to have these conversations in person. Conversing while sitting in the back seat of the car while driving can make the conversation less stressful.

The main problem is to normalize conversations with children at the earliest possible stage about the healthy use of our bodies, from family hugs to intimate expressions in a loving relationship as an expression of our love and affection for each other.