Erin: how can children cope with abuse on social media?
ERIN McGregor has spoken of the horrific abuse she suffered on social media in recent days – and questioned how children can withstand similar vilification online.
The sister of UFC fighter Conor McGregor said the online criticism, following her appearance on the Late Late Show, was so bad that she had to stay in bed for two days.
She added: ‘As a grown woman that upset me, so I can only imagine what it’s like for younger children.’
The 34-year-old, who was voted off RTÉ’s Dancing With The Stars on Sunday night, told about the effect the online trolls had on her confidence and how she battled hard to get their comments out of her head on dance night.
‘One or two nearly trolled me at one point and I just went “block”,’ she said.
Speaking on 2fm’s Nicky Byrne Show with Jenny Greene yesterday, she told how web criticism affected her performance in her first dance-off.
‘The things I saw on Twitter, if I’m honest, they started floating into my head,’ she said.
However, she added: ‘After the first dance-off, that was when I got to feel it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks of you any more. Just have fun, stop worrying all the time.’
And she announced: ‘I would like to do something after this with young people.
‘I’d like to maybe make people more aware of how they behave on social media and how it affects people.’
She said: ‘Ryan [McShane, her dance partner] believed in me and I thought, “Just listen to your friends and your family.
‘It doesn’t matter how people judge you, it’s how you hold yourself”.’
Erin is among numerous parents, school principals and child safety experts who have raised concerns about how social media is impacting on the mental health of our children.
Top cyber-psychologist Mary Aiken has also been vocal on the negative impact of social media and smartphones, calling for teenagers under the age of 14 to be banned from using them.
Members of the public have also echoed her fears that children’s unlimited access to the internet is presenting opportunities for young people to be victims of bullying and online grooming.
An Irish Daily Mail/Ireland Thinks poll revealed in January that more than two thirds of people support a smartphone ban for those aged under 16.
And according to a survey carried out by TheJournal.ie, 75.7% of people are in favour of teenagers under the age of 14 being banned from using the hand-held devices.
A similar poll released early this year added to mounting pressure on the Government to legislate smartphone ownership, as 56% of people told RTE’s Claire Byrne Live that children should not be allowed to use smartphones until they are teenagers.
Apple investors have urged the tech giant to do more to protect children, in an open letter urging Apple to take action against smartphone addiction in young people.
The stakeholders – JANA Partners and The California State Teachers’ Retirement System – said smartphone overuse increased the risks of emotional difficulties and suicide. A growing number of school heads are demanding they be outlawed in schools.
‘As an adult, I was upset’