A meeting titled ‘Safe use of the Internet for Children and Teenagers’ is to be held in the city on Monday next. The event, organised by Fianna Fail councillor Ollie Crowe will brief parents and guardians on the significant challenges young people are faced with daily via their online activity.
The meeting being is being held in the Clayton Hotel this coming Monday December 2 at 8pm and will hear from a number of experts who will outline their professional experiences and learnings.
These include Elaine Byrnes, Doctoral Researcher in Psychology NUI Galway, Timmy Hammersley from Spunout and James Lawless T.D. and Fianna Fáil Party and spokesperson on Science and Technology.
Cllr Crowe said that there is a lot of talk and support among all ages about the future physical condition of our city and country.
“This talk and concern is primarily based around climate change, cycling improvements, emissions etc. And that is right. But I have a deep concern about the present mental condition of our young people.
“As a father of two young children I am acutely aware of the issues we parents face in trying to get a grasp of the constant goings on in online activity. I strongly believe it is an issue that needs to be spoken openly about more. Educating ourselves will help our children and young people greatly,” he said.
He said that if parents educate themselves on this space, it will have a significant positive impact on the mental health of young people.
“There is no point in us been worried about a hundred years’ time when we have a threat to many of our young people today. Safe internet use for children and teenagers needs to be prioritised and on Monday , we will be discussing all of the challenges posed by social media, the warning signs and the negative behaviours to be on the lookout for.”
Cllr Ollie Crowe added that the reality is the vast majority of kids and teenagers are online on a daily basis.
“As parents, we do everything we can to make sure they are safe in their physical surroundings and we need to try to ensure their digital surroundings are similarly just as safe. With the number of expert speakers, I believe this meeting will be a great information resource for all in what many consider to be a modern-day taboo subject,” he concluded.
