A local TD has reacted to new supports offered to support parents who wish to develop voluntary codes regarding smartphone use among primary school children.
Fianna Fail TD for Cavan-Monaghan, Deputy Brendan Smith was speaking after the new guidelines were announced by Minister for Education, Norma Foley. According to Deputy Smith, "more and more" reports are being published on the damage being done to children and teenagers by certain types of mobile phone use. Speaking to Northern Sound on the issue, Deputy Smith believes that children and teenagers can be exposed to content that is damaging their mental health and that often parents can be left feeling "powerless." He added that we must make it "easier for parents" to limit the content their children are exposed to.
Deputy Smith continued; ""My colleagues and I in Fianna Fáil are of the view that Ireland can be, and must be, a world leader in ensuring that children and young people are not targeted and are not harmed by their interactions with the digital world.
"I've been especially impressed by what I've seen in Greystones in Wicklow where parents of primary school children agreed collectively not to buy smartphones for their children whilst in primary school. These new guidelines introduced by Minister Norma Foley are designed to see similar initiatives being rolled out across other schools and contain practical advice and suggestions about devising voluntary agreements among parents concerning the use of smartphones for their primary school age children."
