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WE’RE ONLY STARTING to see the effects of overusing technology — on our young people, and on ourselves.
Across my career in media, tech and research, I’ve thought a lot about how our lives have changed because of technology. How do we help people build meaningful relationships and communities? How is technology a friend or a foe in reaching this goal?
It’s been one year since Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation was published — a book that showcased the growing library of data that explains the impact of a “phone-based,” not a “play-based” childhood. Books like these shine a light on a turning point — particularly between 2010 and 2015 — when the internet began to reshape how we live, think and connect. Tech leaders and governments didn’t seem especially interested in how people’s behaviour was shifting. And now, in 2025, we’re seeing the consequences: a flood of information, political instability and growing personal struggles.
Dopamine Nation, another powerful book in this space, explores how addictive our behaviours can become — not just with drugs or gambling, but with tech. It talks about the balance between pain and pleasure in our lives, and how honesty — real honesty — about our habits is the only way forward.
Closer to home, we’re seeing all of this play out in stark ways. Every day in the news, we come across stories regularly where perpetrators harass, torment and assault victims with the help of technology — sharing videos of their crimes, harassing people online and coordinating campaigns. These aren’t just “youth issues.” These are adult and society-wide issues.
Meanwhile, we’re hearing suggestions that Adolescence — a Netflix series dealing with online culture and teenage life — should be shown in schools. While that might spark discussion, we also need to ask whether streaming content can or should fill the role of structured education and regulation.
One of the most impressive data collections available to us in Ireland is Growing Up in Ireland. It’s a national longitudinal study that follows the same children as they grow older, tracking their views on school, health, media and social life.
Researchers analysed some of this data, which was published in The Journal of Adolescence and examined “the patterns and effects of digital use on child socioemotional well-being across two cohorts of children grown up ten years apart during the ‘digital age’: the 1998 cohort (interviewed in 2007/08) and the 2008 cohort (interviewed in 2017/18).”
The data suggested that spending a lot of time using digital screens (3+ hours daily) is linked to lower overall well-being in adolescents. This means that teenagers who use screens heavily might feel less happy and have more difficulties with their emotions and social lives.
The research also found that high screen time is associated with increased externalising difficulties. These are behaviours like conduct problems and hyperactivity, suggesting that adolescents glued to their devices may exhibit more disruptive or restless behaviour.
Furthermore, the study indicates that high digital screen use is linked to decreased prosocial functioning. This means that adolescents who spend a lot of time on screens might be less likely to engage in helpful and kind behaviours towards others. In simple terms, too much screen time may negatively impact how well teenagers get along with others and their general emotional health.
But the research also showed that when young people used digital learning tools, in moderation, they were more likely to perform better in maths and English, and to show stronger social skills. In other words, it’s not just about screen time — it’s about screen quality. What we do online matters just as much as how often we do it.
Of course, this isn’t just about teenagers. As adults, parents and mentors, we’re living through the same culture. We’re trying to balance our real-world responsibilities with an always-on digital life. That pressure is taking its toll.
In a report we published with Core Research in January, 1 in 2 people said they intended to switch off digital screens more often. The same number of people would like to meet people or attend group events with a common purpose.
They’re looking for belonging, for connection, for something that feels real and shared, a place to be seen. Digital platforms have promised that, but more often than not, they’ve delivered isolation and division.
This disconnect can push people into dark corners of the internet. For parents of teenagers and young adults, Adolescence revealed this, particularly around incel culture.
However, misogyny isn’t new, but the internet has made it easier than ever to find communities that embrace the ideology.
So, how do we help people rebuild meaningful relationships, especially in a world that seems to be pulling us away from one another?
In the past couple of years, I’ve been curious about how AI fits into all of this. Like every new technology, I try to figure out what they’re good for and what they’re not.
But even here, the research gives us pause. A recent collaborative study by OpenAI and MIT Media Lab looked at how people use AI tools and how they affect their social lives.
They found that moderate use — under 30 minutes a day — didn’t have a huge impact. But when people started using AI chatbots for longer periods of time, things changed.
Heavy users reported feeling lonelier. They were socialising less with friends and family. Some were relying on AI bots for emotional support or connection.
The result? A kind of digital dependence that might actually be making our real-life relationships weaker. Already, apps such as Therabot are finding that people can develop a therapeutic alliance with AI or how people are “falling in love” with ChatGPT.
We’ve convinced ourselves that likes, swipes and messages are enough. But they’re not. Two years ago, in a Core Research report called Relationships & Influences 23, we found that a significant number of people in Ireland (68%) said that “it is becoming more difficult to meet new people”— and 61% said “sometimes I feel lonely.”
The report revealed the average person is spending 6.5 hours of time with best friends every week, a fraction of what some studies say is necessary to maintain friendships, and a lot less than what we are spending scrolling and swiping.
Poet and performer Kae Tempest summed it up in their song People’s Faces: “We got our heads down and our hackles up / Our backs against the wall,” but goes on to suggest “There is so much peace to be found in people’s faces.” That’s how it feels for many of us right now.
We’ve spent almost two decades giving more and more of ourselves to technology. Maybe now is the time to take some of it back. Not by ditching it completely — but by being radically honest about how we use it, and what we’ve lost along the way.
Because ultimately, it’s not about being anti-tech. It’s about being pro-human.
Finian Murphy is a Researcher and Strategist focused on public sentiment, culture and communities.
““I don’t know if it broke the law”. This is the answer from the Leader of the country. Maybe you could ask one of your many advisors or the AG.
@Jack Cass: They spend millions on consultancy/PR, experts even, yet this whole fiasco which initially arose to make an opposition party look bad has only magnified how inept FFG are.
@Frank Cauldhame: SF do look bad as they added an extra layer of deception to the whole sorry practise by inventiong a fictitious company, printing false ids etc etc.
To be honest the whole business is shoddy in the extreme and only reinforces the public view that politicians and political parties are all the same and not to be trusted an inch.
@Justin Gillespie: Nonsense, you’re merely adding an extra layer of whataboutery.
@Frank Cauldhame: No whataboutery involved at all Frank. All the parties admit to polling, only SF went out of their way to deceive people by inventing a PR company, printing false Ids and worst of all printing up a list of lies to tell voters if they were queried.
New politics my backside.
@Justin Gillespie: The whole political system needs to be rebuilt from the ground. FF and FG have the system so corrupt and twisted from 100 years of swapping positions in power that its completely seized up.
@Justin Gillespie: sure thats just another thing SF do better than FF/FG then. A superior party in every way;-)
@merely ed: I have to grant you that one!!!
@David Corrigan: I agree 100% David, how to do it though……
@Justin Gillespie: That is a million dollar question in fairness. I know one thing for certain. We can’t keep going with the system we have.
“OMG scandalous”! Not really, what is more worrying is the amount of people talking about the breach of trust. Anybody that trusts a politician be they SF/FG/FF/LAB/GP/IND and others should consider professional help.
The Irish Independent’s Philip Ryan wrote a biography of Leo Varadkar called ‘Leo: A very modern Taoiseach’.
The Independent is very pro-Fine Gael – having previously been owned by FG sponsor Denis O’Brien.
Philip Ryan broke that story yesterday to damage Sinn Fein. Simon Harris immediately called SF’s behaviour ‘sinister’.
What a pity Philip Ryan didn’t do due diligence on his hit piece.
@Cookie: Sinister is Harris’s favourite word. He turns my stomach listening to him.
@David Corrigan: Sinister Simon lol
why did this occur ? Philip Ryan spindo editor, co author of Leos book, doing his usual trying to fling mud at SF. But for 2nd time caused blowback on his hero and other parties. His bias is there for all to see, its a pity he dosent spend even half the time actually investigating those that are actually in power as those that are not. And when he might even do some he approaches it from defending those in power. He is a hypo crite and a presstitute.
Its SF masquerading as political party thats the main concern to those with a perspective on reality.
@Bain triail aisti: You can’t take a dig at one party though, all the parties did it
@Bain triail aisti: It appears you have lost your grip on reality.
@Paul Cunningham: Wasnt related to the polling “crisis”, was a general observation. Look at their TDs here or MPs in the north.
They’ve no skillsets to fulfill their positions.
The Brazilian cl8wn getting elected was similar, turned out to be a farce and a drain on resources.
@Paul Cunningham: Only SF took it to the level of inventing a makey up polling company, printing false ids, and then having the gall to say that they couldn’t afford a real polling company to do it for them. Northern Bank money finally. gone then?
@Bain triail aisti: We’ve had Taoisigh whose only experience is a couple years teaching decades ago and you’re going on about SF lack of skillset? We get it you don’t like them but don’t act like other parties are particularly brilliant. Every horrendous act that the state has ever done or allowed to happen was done by either a Fianna Fail or Fine Gael led government.
@Bain triail aisti: You are claiming that when we had a FG college dropout parading around the place as a health minister for the last few years?
Read that to yourself a few times. He didn’t have the ability to finish college and he gets put in charge of the largest budget in the state? It’s actually very alarming to think that this could happen in this day and age.
@David Corrigan: What worse is they made dept of Higher Education to give him a seat at the table and he no higher education qualifications, minister of children, no children. Minister of Transport, hates transport. Minister of Rural affairs from Dublin, minister for fisheries from offaly, minister of health an engineer, leader of Seanad fought to abolish the Seanad…
@Da Dell: Richard Pryor would have got two years comedy material out of the state of our political system. It’s extremely funny if it wasn’t so bloody serious!
@David Corrigan: He removed himself from his college spot to focus on the the 2011 election, had he failed to get elected at the young age of 20, he would have returned and completed his qualification.
He didnt lack the capacity to complete his course.
Those are the facts of why he is one of the only member of An Rialtas without some formal qualification, which I assume he will address in due course. He still is young so has plenty of time to address this short falling in his CV.
To put some context on short fallings on CVs, imagine had Brady been our representative during the Brexit discussions, can you image how he would have been lampooned by the UK tabloids, luckily for him and his family SF were not in power at the time.
I can look through some of your other posts and correct your other inaccuracies if you wish.
Let me know.
Always here to help.
@JB: Qualifying ones self to attain a degree shows motivation and the ability to complete tasks.
Those skillsets are interchangeable to suit politics.
@Bain triail aisti: Harris is a weasel, wrote a speech for Kenny and got his due rewards for kissing the right rears. The irony of you correcting inaccuracies in others posts is hilarious. Think somewhere today, or maybe it was yesterday you were claiming that SF were promising eclipses ffs lol. Thanks for all the giggles though, hope you stay as funny when ya grow up lol.
@Da Dell: You mean you didnt get the humour in the eclipse reference to populist nonsense promises!!
Really ?
Its called sarcasm.
For future reference
Sarcasm
/ˈsɑːkaz(ə)m/
noun
the use of irony to mock or convey contempt
@Bain triail aisti: whatever ya do dont try it with FG populist nonsense promises over the last decade or so, not enough time in the world to cover that, an the fact we have historical evidence of the failure of those, from political reform & accountability, sacking the wasters of taxpayer monies, not another cent to the banks, reducing and reforming the public service, capping public sector salaries at 200k, fixing the Health Service, no more people on trolleys, thousands more beds and nurses, building 10s of thousands of house’s, fast broadband for all, abolishing the USC, 5% tax on income over 100k etc etc etc. But we did get a property tax, sugar tax, massive overspending on likes of NCH, a worse HSE, health crisis, housing crisis, homeless crisis, etc etc etc. yeah FG are great.
@Justin Gillespie: You’ll be delighted to know, that FG payed people, who used business cards from non-existent polling companies lol.
@Bain triail aisti: So you still see nothing wrong with a young fella with no formal education being put in charge of an organisation with the largest budget in the country?
Don’t bother trying to correct my true statements mate. Put that time into getting your own head in order.
@David Corrigan: You have failed to absorb the information I’ve shared, or not read it correctly.
Its a major short falling on his CV to not have a proper qualification, however there were stenuating circumstances 10 years ago that created this void, however this should be addressed soon.
Its a very poor image internationally of our An Rialtas to have a member with a CV like Harris’s.
Its good that we both now see how important CVs are for TDs, and how unfit the majority of SF TDs are to be in their roles.
I have this recurring nightmare of being on a zoom or teams call, and an American saying to me, “Hey Bob, I see the IRA are running your country now”
And i would have no retort.
If SF were a fully qualified professional party I would have some defence by saying these are well suited politicians and SF have long moved on from being a party of ex-cons and radicals with nothing of substance behind them..
Alas tis not the case.
This is as Irish as it gets, the once outrageous situation becomes increasingly acceptable once all parties have admitted, or have been caught out doing similar?!
This also has a bizarre level of similarity to the Dáil voting scandal which was also swiftly swept out of view once it became known that the practice was widespread.
This is deception and is unjustifiable
Yet another hatchet job that backfired on a hack that is in the pocket of one of the biggest parties…
We have another generation now being drove away and thats the drivel they feed us…
Where is the real criticism of the governance thats driving young people to leave to to the rope…
Its a disgrace
It seems this isn’t as big an issue as it was initially portrayed when the story broke as all parties seem to do some form of this polling. However SF’s approach seems to be the most deceptive – providing members with fake IDs and arming them with prepared lies.
@DeShawn Jersey: Exactly. What I’m I missing here. Sure its party members or supporters that always go on the canvass
@DeShawn Jersey: yawn yawn yawn
@DeShawn Jersey: Deceptive? Read the report below.
“Fine Gael is asking candidates applying for positions in their research team to draft attacks on Sinn Féin as part of their application process.” How messed up is that?
Telling someone you represent a non existant company is lieing.
Asking questions, knowing you have lied, betrays trust placed in you.
@Philip Howlin: Trust?… This is a ‘deep south’ redneck republic, trust no one, take what you can.
Trying to nail sinn fein when they were doing it for years.
@Thomas Linehan: SF pretended to be from a market research company and used fake IDs. That is the MEGA difference
@Craic_a_tower: New MEGA news that FG payed people who used business cards from non-existent polling companies.
I worked for a market research company about 20 years ago. It is a lot more complicated than people think. We used a linguist service to check the scripts to make sure they were not leading questions. For example you could never ask this “ there are 4 options one to four which would you pick?” 75% of people will answer 3 as you mention 1,2 and 4 in the question. Then there is sample size and making sure you get an accurate spread. There was also a code of ethics and lying about the company name was certainly there. Without professional analysis and design the information is worse than useless as it can be misleading
Probably afraid of getting some well deserved criticising rather than party associations affecting the poll results.
More reason to verify the identity of people calling to your door with badges around their necks as the Gardai advise.
Difficult to believe the parties’ claims thst they didn’t collect personal data.
These “polls” were apparently conducted by amateurs, without the ability to exercise the quality controls and adjustments implemented by professional polling companies, so no reliable conclusions could be drawn from the aggregate results.
Information on the political leanings of identifiable individuals would be useful, however.
I reckon the shredders will be overhearing at party hq
Not a SF fan but FG and FF tried to hang SF before finding out everyone else was doing it
have your say