It’s another victory to protect our children
NOTHING is more important than the safety and wellbeing of our children. It goes without saying that protecting them at all times should be society’s number one priority.
Against that backdrop, it is highly encouraging that the Department of Education is today writing to every school in the country about the use of smartphones, tablets and video-recording devices. Boards of management will be told that consultations involving teachers, pupils and parents must get under way in the very near future.
The Irish Daily Mail makes no apology for repeatedly expressing grave concerns about the detrimental impact of technology on the young. For that reason, we have run a lengthy campaign in favour of a legislative ban on children using smartphones until they reach an appropriate age.
Our firm conviction is that the inherent dangers are too serious to be ignored. There is overwhelming evidence to show that access to smartphones has a negative effect on youngsters’ education and development, as well as on their physical and mental health. But the potential hazards are even greater than that. Whereas internet use can be supervised at home or school, the untrammelled online access afforded by smartphones puts children in greater jeopardy of being groomed by cyber predators. Experts say they also face an increased risk of depression, anxiety and suicide.
One particularly notable aspect of the circular being sent from Richard Bruton’s office relates to existing policies that may be in place in individual schools. It recommends that these protocols be ‘reviewed at the earliest opportunity and updated following the consultation’.
At the very least, this is a clear indicator that schools who have previously addressed the issue will not be allowed to rest on their laurels. This makes perfect sense.
Given the pace at which technology is evolving, it is possible that policies introduced only a couple of years ago could be outmoded by now. It is imperative that all measures are kept up to date.
Meanwhile, it is also noteworthy that the Education Minister praised St Brendan’s National School in Blennerville, Co. Kerry, for successfully introducing a smartphone ban. This newspaper echoes that praise and is happy to once more give credit to everyone involved.
We welcome the sign that the Government is treating our campaign in the serious manner that it merits. It is encouraging to see our leaders taking notice of the educated opinion of cyber specialists, medics and other experts. By any reckoning, we underestimate the online threat at our peril. Nobody, least of all the Mail, denies the internet has brought many positive aspects to modern life. But it would be extremely naïve to overlook the point that it also has a sinister side as well.
For now, though, we should acknowledge that Mr Bruton’s initiative is a sign of progress. It is a decisive move in making sure new technology occupies an appropriate place in our children’s learning. Of course, it would be counterproductive and foolish to even consider removing the internet entirely from our schools. But the bottom line is that it should be used in the education environment when necessary.
Even in the best of circumstances, being a teenager is a difficult business. There are myriad problems attached to that most formative of times: peer pressure, exam worries and so on. It hardly needs to be spelt out that the rise of the internet has made the teen years even tougher. Anything that helps youngsters escape the dangers of the often dark world of social media can only be a good thing.
Accordingly, the letter going out from Richard Bruton is an important step in the fight to protect our children in the world we now inhabit.