The issues with social media

Sir — A quick reaction to Brendan O’Connor’s ‘Why I will never allow my children on social media’ (Sunday Independent, November 6).

Nowadays we hear constant criticism of social networks based on the fact that they are detrimental to psychological and mental health.

This attitude sounds to me like “I wish I could, but I can’t so I denigrate”. What do I mean? It is impossible to isolate your children and yourself, by the day, from social networking, it is an impotent wish. It is like saying to those who live in the city to never go out, never go shopping, never go the pub or never socialise in any form.

Portable devices are so common and popular that any attempt to deny social network connections is anachronistic and delusional. The right attitude, I think, should be firstly to know them and second to educate your children on the best way to use them.

I don’t see how social networking is worse than watching stupid and repetitive TV programmes, for example, or driving a car packed with stoned people or many other activities that we give for granted today but they weren’t in the past.

Furthermore, laws are the worse way to educate people, it is like seeing them as completely stupid and incapable of learning from life. By forcing people you don’t create better ones. I believe that young generations are much more intelligent than we generally think.

I believe we are not better than them just because we think that our cages our better. Adults live in prisons whose bars are built year after year; when they see young people exploring life and getting a lot out it, those same adults are basically envious and they are brought back to the question: was it worth accepting my golden cage and giving away the full possibilities of richer life? Maurizio Bisogno, Richmond Hill,

Cork