Parents Advice Hub

  YouTube, for many people it can be a means of self-expression, a way of documenting particular elements of their life. However an increasing number of children are using YouTube to upload videos and then share this content with friends. Parents can understandably be concerned about what their children are uploading and sharing, particularly as…

  Cyberbullying it’s undoubtedly one of the biggest challenges faced by children and teenagers in Ireland and indeed worldwide. Before the growth of digital technology bullying was something that could be contained, to some extent. However, the growth of social media and the use of digital technology like smartphones, means that bullying can be both…

  One of the concerns we hear most frequently from parents at our parent seminars in primary and secondary schools, relates to how challenging it can be to keep up with what children are doing when they are online. This concern is totally understandable as parents lead increasingly busy and demanding lives. It can undoubtedly…

  A survey of over one thousand young people aged 14 to 24 has found that Instagram is the worst social media site in terms of its impact on the mental health of young people. The #StatusofMind survey conducted by the Royal Society for Public Health, found the photo-sharing app negatively impacted on people’s body…

  The World Health Organisation has warned that the increased use of technology by children is leading to increased rates of obesity. The Report: Adolescent Obesity and Related Behaviours, looked at the prevalence of obesity among adolescents between the years 2002 and 2014. Almost two thirds of children were found to be spending more than…

  There has been lots of coverage recently about the proposed legislation by Fine Gael TD Jim Daly, that would see parents fined for not effectively controlling their children’s use of smartphones and could potentially see retailers fined for selling smartphones to children under the age of 14. It is yet to be seen whether…

  Peer pressure has always been a part of childhood and has always been a challenge for parents to deal with. However, now that there is a digital aspect to the way children of all ages communicate, peer pressure has a whole new dimension. Parents can understandably feel very concerned about the pressure that their…

From meeting parents at our parent seminars that take place in primary and secondary schools throughout the country, we regularly hear that the number of apps now available can be overwhelming and it can be a challenge to stay on top of the newest developments. MeowChat is an app that allows users to chat to…

  In an interview earlier this year our Founder Joe Kenny indicated that internet safety needs to be seen as something as important as learning to safely cross the road. With the increasing use of digital devices and wifi being available more widely in public places, children of all ages have access to a digital…

  The term ‘screenager’ is becoming increasingly common and it’s not hard to see why. The amount of screens that young people have access to in their everyday life is huge. With a growing number of schools using technology like iPads and Tablets as part of the educational experience, teens can spend a huge amount…

  Video and photo sharing online are a very popular way for teenagers in particular to communicate with their friends. Usually sharing begins with photos and then moves on to videos. From our work in primary and secondary schools throughout the country we know that parents concerns grow as their children become more familiar with…

The SimSimi app has caused a huge degree of controversy here in the last week or so and while it has now been suspended in Ireland there are certainly lessons that can be learned from the use of the app. While the immediate dangers of SimSimi have been removed for Irish users there is no…