Zeeko Advice Hub

When we are visiting schools around the country to deliver internet safety workshops and parent and teacher talks one of the topics that we hear about most regularly relates to the content that children are sharing online. Their level of awareness of what they are sharing, how that content can potentially be altered and how…

  It’s one of the most challenging dilemmas of modern parenting: what is the right age to allow a child to have a smartphone? Smartphones can undoubtedly open a whole new world to your child in very positive ways such as teaching them digital skills and new ways to use technology to communicate. However, there…

  It’s likely that if you are currently parenting a teenager you are among the first generation of parents to be negotiating the uncharted territory of digital parenting. Communicating using social media is a relatively new phenomenon and is certainly something that many parents do not have direct personal experience of from their own childhoods.…

  It’s very likely that there is a games console in your home, or that of a cousin or a friend. They have developed hugely over recent years from simple handheld devices to more interactive consoles. These devices, like the PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Wii and WiiU, are designed to work with a TV. Consoles like these are capable…

  One of the online games we consistently hear about when we visit primary schools around the country to talk about staying safe online is Roblox,  www.roblox.com  – a game creation site that allows users to  both design and upload their own games and play games in a multi player environment. It’s particularly popular among young…

Screentime, it’s one of the most read topics on our blog! It’s the singular element of the digital world that affects both children and their parents, how to manage it and how to create a workable balance. The reality is that in this digital age screens are everywhere. Children could potentially be spending time looking…

Our team at Zeeko were delighted to participate in the Government’s Open Policy Debate on Digital Safety which took place in Dublin on March 8th.  One of the main topics for discussion was the proposed introduction of a digital age of consent. The digital age of consent refers to age from which it is legal…

  It’s not so long ago since there was only one digital device in an office and it was unlikely that people had access to a computer at home. Now you would be forgiven for thinking that digital devices were always part of life! Developing the skills needed to operate in a world surrounded by…

  Our guest blogger this week is Daniel Sherwin, a single dad raising two children. At DadSolo.com, he aims to provide other single dads with information and resources to help them better equip themselves on the journey that is parenthood. Most parents consider keeping their kids safe online a top concern. Yet, with all the…

    There has been a huge amount of focus on what Irish children are encountering when they are online over recent weeks. Cyberbullying continues to be a major concern for parents and teachers. So, what can you do to support your child if they become the victim of online bullying and in general what…

There has been a lot of focus on the protection of children when they are online over the last number of weeks in Ireland, in light of the imprisonment of Mathew Horan. It is of course every adults’ responsibility to keep children safe online and that includes parents, teachers, grandparents and carers. There is of…

  The theme for this year’s International Safer Internet Day was: Create Connect and Share Respect: A Safer Internet Starts with you. As the name suggests the aim of the day, which took place earlier this week is to encourage users of the internet, particularly young people to use the internet safely and responsibly. So…

Our blog this week is an interview with the Head of Research at Zeeko Dr. Marina Everri. Appointed in September 2017 as a Horizon 2020 SME Innovation Associate, Marina is an Italian native who as you will see, has a wide and varied research background and is passionate about understanding the impact that technology is…

  The online world and its impact on children and teens is only being explored at the moment. It will undoubtedly be some years before the full extent and impact of the all-encompassing use of technology will be fully understood. One area that we see regularly through our work at Zeeko is children’s and teens…

  It is likely you have seen or heard coverage in the media this week of the findings of our most recent research at Zeeko, the findings reveal what Irish children are doing when they are online, their social media platforms of choice and what digital devices kids are using to interact with others, both…

It is likely you have seen or heard coverage in the media this week of the findings of our most recent research at Zeeko, the findings reveal what Irish children are doing when they are online, their social media platforms of choice and what digital devices kids are using to interact with others, both people…

  When your child comes home from an extracurricular activity or spending time with friends it is highly likely that you ask them a few questions about how they got on. How often have you asked them about what they are doing when they are online? When we meet parents at our parent seminars in…

  Firstly, the team at Zeeko would like to wish all the readers of our blog a very happy and prosperous New Year! It’s highly likely that your home now has at least one more digital device than it did before Christmas and that you have some, new year’s resolutions! Hopefully some of these resolutions…

  Given the increasingly crowded market of messaging apps and the rush by social media companies to engage a younger and younger audience, it was only a matter of time before Facebook developed a messaging service for children under the age of 13. It was launched just last week in the US and will undoubtedly…

  Do you feel that your teenager seems to be always connected to a digital device? When we deliver our parent seminars in secondary schools throughout the country we regularly hear from parents that they have concerns about how much time their child is spending attached to and engaging with a digital device. When we…

  When we talk to kids as part our work in Zeeko one app is constantly mentioned: YouTube Kids. This is a children’s version of the adult YouTube. It offers kids a way of watching content and commenting on the videos they watch. However, just because the word ‘Kids’ is in the title you should…

  Communicating with a teenager can undoubtedly be a challenge. This is most certainly the case when it comes to what they are doing when they are online. Many of the parents we meet in the course of our work in Zeeko have genuine concerns about what their child is potentially, exposed to when they…

    Our blog this week is written by guest blogger Beatrice Cadet. An International security  and Psychology student, Beatrice is passionate about child safety and tech. Currently living in France, she has also lived in Spain and California, working for start-up companies. She joined our team at Zeeko as a Strategy consultant in June…

    The way that children play is changing. Instead of spending time playing face to face, children of all ages are spending time playing games online. Along with the obvious challenges of managing screentime where gaming is concerned, there are other things that children and parents need to bear in mind when playing games…

  This week we profile Zeeko presenter Kirsty Park. Kirsty is an Irish Research Council funded PhD researcher in Communications at DCU. She has worked as a lecturer and taught coding workshops for Transition Year students. We talk to Kirsty about her role with Zeeko visiting schools throughout the country to help keep kids safe online!…

    There is a new facet to our health and that is digital. Yes, you read that correctly, digital health focuses on creating a healthy balance in our use of technology. Obviously being conscious of digital health is important for adults but is even more so for our children. So, what does digital health…

We are incredibly lucky to have a fantastic team of presenters working with Zeeko. We thought you might like to know more about them! So, over the next few months we will be profiling each of our presenters, where they will share their expertise and experience of delivering our internet safety message in schools throughout…

  With all the conversations that you need to have with your children in the course of a week it can be a challenge to fit in the topic of staying safe online! During the workshops we deliver in primary and secondary schools throughout the country we regularly hear from children of all ages about…

There used to be a time when keeping kids safe involved looking both ways before crossing the street or avoiding strangers. While those are still much needed life skills, our children are growing up in an increasingly digital and social world. Today’s kids embrace social media and technology as their primary means of communication and…

  The reality is we are surrounded by screens. Even as adults it is a challenge to manage the amount of time we spend looking at a screen throughout the day. If it is a challenge for adults to manage, it’s totally understandable that it is even more difficult for children to deal with. When…