Zeeko Advice Hub

    If you asked a group of adults what they understand by the term digital footprint it’s likely that they would struggle to give an answer! So, it is little surprise that children struggle to grasp this concept. Most kids, understandably, don’t think of the long-term implications of what they are sharing today i.e.…

  Catfishing, it’s a phrase that most people associate with the hit MTV Show ‘Catfish’. In terms of online safety catfishing is a serious concern in particular for the parents of teenagers. Our most recent research at Zeeko found that, students in secondary school had more contacts with strangers online, specifically: 50% of male and…

  Coding is becoming increasingly popular among Irish children. Have a read of this guest article by Holly Clark from US based Codakid.com on the benefits of coding!  For kids to appreciate how the modern technology operates, there is a need to introduce them to coding. Most kids are living in a world where technology…

  It may sound like a buzz word, but digital literacy is in fact an incredibly important skill. When our research team attend European Conferences on internet safety, the importance of digital literacy is always stressed. Developing digital literacy skills is a key component of our newest product at Zeeko, Appyness Online.  So, what is…

  Fortnite, it’s the gaming craze that shows no sign of fading. It is likely that your child wants to play or knows someone who is already playing. So, what can you do to help your child to stay safe if they play Fortnite? The main game focuses on a Save The World mode where…

  Parenting can be a challenge, there’s little doubt about that. There is now a new element to parenting and that’s digital! Everything from encouraging your kids to have a balance in their use of technology to helping them to be aware of the issues that they may face when they are online is an…

  Here at Zeeko, we provide our subscribers with a weekly blog offering advice and tips for parents to enhance and improve their knowledge of internet safety and how to best manage their children’s time online. Our blog this week tells you all you need to know about Appyness Online a new way for children…

  One of the huge concerns for parents and teachers is the amount of time that that teens are spending on  social media. However, it’s not only the amount of time but also the type of information that they are being exposed to that is of concern. How can you help the teenagers in your…

Screens, it seems like they are everywhere and managing their use, in particular by kids, can certainly be a challenge! Here are some tips from our team at Zeeko for managing screentime:   Be a good role model: If your child sees you constantly using digital devices and looking at screens, it’s likely they will…

  Unfortunately, the cyber element to bullying is a growing concern for parents and schools. There was a time when bullying was confined to face to face interaction. With the growing use of digital communication, the cyber element to bullying is only increasing. What can you do to support your child if they become the…

  Smartphones are now seen as an almost essential component in the way we communicate with each other and the world around us, and that’s just for the adults! An increasing number of children now have access to a range of digital devices including smartphones. Whether that is spending time using a parent’s smartphone or…

  We are delighted to have a  guest blogger this week. Daniel Sherwin is 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. Keeping kids safe when they’re online is a concern most…

We all know that feeling of wanting to share some exciting news with our friends and family, when you are ‘bursting to tell’ someone something, well kids often feel like that about sharing information online. The obvious and important difference with the online element of things is, of course, safety. What are the things you…

  There are few who would deny that technology is having a huge impact on almost all elements of our lives. It is most definitely having an impact on parenting and is adding a new dimension to an already very challenging role. Many parents we meet through our work at Zeeko are overwhelmed by the…

  It’s undoubtedly one of the biggest challenges for this generation, how to effectively manage something that is constantly around us, screens. One of the queries we receive from parents and indeed teachers is how to create a healthy balance in the use of screens. From our inception as a company we have always said…

  It’s so hard to believe that we are at the end of the summer and that school has started in earnest for the vast majority of students. Our team at Zeeko would like to welcome you back to the new academic year. We hope you have had a great summer and got the opportunity…

  It’s officially the start of summer, the school holidays start in just a few days! Let’s hope long sunny days lie ahead and along with the sun another thing can be guaranteed during the summer months, is that your child will want to spend some of their time using technology. So, here are some…

  Now that the summer holidays are almost upon us, children and teenagers will be out of their usual routine, which for the most part is a great thing. The summer is a time to relax and enjoy summer camps and spending time together with family and friends. However, the lack of a structure can…

  There’s no need to outline the huge juggling act that parents are faced with on a monthly, weekly, daily and often hourly basis when it comes to managing family life. Adding technology, social media and time spent online into that mix certainly creates additional challenges. With secondary school students now finished school for the…

Digital assistants are a growing part of everyday life. These are better known by their titles, the most popular of these being Siri, Amazon Echo and Google Home. So, what exactly is a Digital Assistant and what do you need to be aware of as a parent when it comes to keeping your child safe?…

  Throughout our work at Zeeko we promote the importance of the development of digital skills as a way of helping children to make smart choices and stay safe when they are online. Developing the ability to decipher what is real from what is fake when it comes to online content is certainly a crucial…

  Achieving a healthy balance in the use of technology is a challenge for children and adults alike. With growing public discourse in relation to the use of technology our blog this week offers advice on practical ways to create and maintain a balance when it comes to the use of technology with a particular…

  Fortnite, it’s the newest craze in online gaming and is proving incredibly popular. It has been around for a while on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, and Mac but recently added iOS to this list. The main game focuses on a Save The World mode where you attack and shoot enemies with weapons and…

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…