After the tragic death last week of 13-year old Clare teenager, Conor Wilmot, there has been renewed focus on the effects of prolonged online activity on the health of young people. One solution proposed by Fine Gael TD, Jim Daly, is to fine parents for allowing children under the age of 14 own an internet-connected device.
A good idea?
Be careful of unintended consequences, says Dr Sameer Hinduja, Professor at Florida Atlantic University and Co-Director of the Cyberbullying Research Centre. She joined Seán O'Rourke this morning, and expressed worry that such a law might mean Irish schoolchildren falling behind in online proficiency.
"Absolutely there should be restrictions, but we shouldn't need a law."
There have been reports across the world about something called the Blue Whale Challenge, an online "game" that Conor Wilmot's father believes may have been responsible for his son's death. The challenge involves a person being given a series of tasks over a fifty-day period. The person might be told to watch a horror movie, or wake up at random times during the night, or engage in self-harm.
"On the 50th day, you're supposed to take your life and that's how you win."
Dr Hinduja stressed to Seán that, although much is known about the Blue Whale Challenge, there has yet to be a single case of suicide confirmed to be specifically linked to it. He catagorizes it as a form of 'teen technology misuse', a phrase he also applies to sexting, online dating violence and cyberbullying.
"The vast majority of our kids, believe it or not, they're actually doing the right thing, the respectful thing, or at least the neutral thing, online."
Instruction and education are key to getting everybody else on board, Dr Hinduja believes. And Irish schools, which have been re-introducing Civics into the school curriculum, are ahead of US schools, he says. Parents though, need to be wary of chastising and frowning too much at their children's screentime, as it may lead to the kids simply tuning out. It's a delicate balance for parents – and legislators.
You can listen back to the full interview here