Forum on raising your child in a digital age

THE safety of children in today’s Digital age is a topic of growing concern and importance to adults and parents.

Many people are struggling to cope with the challenges thrown up by this increasingly complex and mercurial world – a world they feel they have little or no control over.

On this Thursday, April 27 th at the River Island Hotel at 8pm a free talk on this very topic will be of interest to parents and adults in general.

The presentation will be delivered by Jason O’Mahony, an experienced investigator and a Master of Sciences Graduate in Forensic Computing and Cyber Crime Investigation.

The talk will emphasise the importance of communication between a child and a parent.

A child must know and understand that it is ok to talk to mum or dad if something inappropriate pops up while they use a digital device.

Children are now constantly in danger of putting themselves in situations where content can be shared or even broadcast live online.

This can have incredible long term implications which children at present do not seem to fully grasp.

Children and teens currently are being exposed to inappropriate content from a very young age – much of which is going on unknown to parents.

They play games and use apps which are not suitable for their age. The sharing of inappropriate images is becoming a social norm for them.

This is having a real world change on their attitudes and behaviours.

Add alcohol or any form of an intoxicant in to this mix and it can prove a recipe for total disaster. Once inhibitions are lowered, those who are influenced by their online exposure may not even fully comprehend the meaning of consent.

Parents can play a far greater role than they realise. However, it is only in collaboration with the child can any of these serious issues be addressed.

Thursday night’s talk will set you free from floundering in the wake of the relentless, forward march of the digital age.

The talk has been organised by the Castleisland Inter-agency Youth Forum. For more information you can call: 087 41 94 348 between 9am. and 5pm.

Photograph by John Reidy Castleisland Interagency Youth Forum members, Liz Galwey (left) and Jennifer O’Sullivan-Coffey announcing details of Thursday night’s free talk.