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THE INTERNET IS one of the most important inventions of the last century. Created and gifted to the world by its inventor, the internet has transformed business, sparked social change and has been a positive space for the majority of users.
Concerns about the safety of young people online has been growing recently in the wake of the tragic deaths of Leitrim teenager Ciara Pugsley, after anonymous comments were allegedly posted on a social networking site called Ask.fm and more recently, Erin Gallagher in Donegal. Calls have been made for social media websites to be regulated more closely to prevent recurrences of last week’s tragedy – but is it solely a case of regulation, or is there a place for education to play a role?
As social media evolves to encompass more than just Facebook and Twitter, new plug-in services like formspring, Ask.fm and others will become more and more popular amongst young people. These sites allow people to comment anonymously leaving young people open to the risk of bullying and harassment. What’s important to remember is that some of what is being said is not true, it’s not acceptable and that concerned users should take a step back and talk to someone they trust if they’re worried.
Comprehensive regulation of social media has become almost impossible, not least owing to the difficulties in identifying users, especially those living overseas. Instead we must teach young people how to use the power of the internet for good and know when to report inappropriate or harmful online behaviour. Learning how to interact online is just as important as emphasis placed on the development of interpersonal skills offline. Parents teach their children how to behave in real life situations and it should be no different when young people log onto sites such as Facebook.
Those who become cyber bullies or impact negatively on the experience of others need educating too; primarily they need to be made aware of the impact of their actions. There is a case for social education to take place in ICT lessons in schools so that young people are not only taught how to use the tools but how to show respect for other users. The internet is such an important developmental space for young people, and offers incredible opportunities through access to the educational resources it hosts. Keeping up to speed with developments in online technology will be hugely important for the working lives of our current generation of young people.
We as a society need to acknowledge and be open about the risks faced by young people online but by no means should we encourage children to be afraid of the internet. If we teach our young people the difference between good and bad online behaviour then there is no reason why they can’t become confident and responsible web users. We also need to show our young people where to go for help if they do become concerned about another user’s behaviour.
One suggestion has been to ban offending websites or have parents prevent their young people from using certain social media sites. We must remember bullying takes place offline as well as online and banning young people would be as reasonable as banning bullying victims from ever going outside again. We simply need to educate our young people how to interact online just as we do in real life.
Here are some tips on staying safe online for parents and young people:
If parents would like more information on what they can do they can check out Webwise, Office for Internet Safety, or SpunOut’s section on Internet safety and cyber and text bullying.
Ian Power is communications officer at SpunOut.ie, Ireland’s youth website. They provide health and wellbeing information to young people aged 16-25. They also provide a space for young people to have their voices heard, to create personal and social change.
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Not just children – but adults too!
They’d need to learn how to behave in public first. Adults too
and Parents need to keep an eye on how their children use the internet keep them monitored. Children are children only for a very short time and letting them such a powerful tool without parent/adult/mature monitoring is abuse of the child’s innocence.Parents need to be parents first
privacy settings!!!blocking people!!! its not that hard really just a click
Many parents are lazy and disinterested. They don’t punish their children for bad behaviour.
Years ago every adult was your parent.
I absolutely agree with the requirement to educate as opposed to some form of regulation which simply won’t work. We have made a comment page fronting our web site today on this very issue. The education has to be real in terms of the material presented to students. There are educational materials circulated in schools from the NCTE but they are not always well received by teachers and students alike and can find dust in a cupboard. Equally, reports that An Garda Siochana did not act on direct representations from the victims parents are very unsettling if proved to be true. If the GS are unable to investigate and prosecute crimes of harassment because they have an Internet dimension and lack physical confrontation as is alleged in this case, then we have reached the stage where such crimes are beyond the law and this is very dangerous indeed. We need a culture change among primary and second level students where bullying is frowned upon and bully’s made of to feel that their behaviour towards victims is totally unacceptable. Perhaps the passing of Erin and Ciara can be a catalyst to begin and sustain a campaign of education and discussion among students to drive bullying in all its forms out of our midst.
Pat McKenna, childwatch.ie
Well said Pat, and may I add the daily bamboo beating that was tried out upon the less well off. Apart from the psychopaths, the beatings were reasonable. At one point we were in danger of losing our minds. Still we lived.
Netiquette seems to have fallen by the wayside and that doesn’t help.
Our Children Need Lessons In How To Behave.
The “online” was unnecessary.
We’re not giving kids much of a standard to live up to, in fairness. We’re not exactly neck-deep in honourable role models. If adults don’t take responsibility for their actions, then why should their kids?
Here’s a weird suggestion…..teach kids old fashioned way of respect,right from wrong ect….forget about media sites….see people face to face….get the basics right first …..cherish ect….maybe then we can tackle the on/off line stuff and get things into proper perspective.
should they not start with the adults ???
Schools have been struggling with this for the last 4 years and there are no resources for them.
Completely agree, with the caveat that first we need a decent computer curriculum in primary schools first.
You are never going to stop bullying online fully – by definition it is international.
Recent technology/moderating changes are as much blame in many cases for facilitating bullying.
The biggest problem IMO is that teenagers are being forced to use their real identities (facebook or Twitter) to use websites and social media. While this helps reduce trolling to a certain extent, when trolling does occur it is more targeted and potentially dangerous as trolls know their true identity and can hound them across websites. It also has more long lasting and personal impact.
IMO Far better for teenagers to have a true identity they use only for close friends on facebook etc., and a 2nd anonymous identity they use elsewhere when they are interacting with others.
Using real identities for posting is a terrible idea. It’s simple for a bully to create a fake identity and it’s the victim who suffers from using their real identity.
exactly – that is what I’m saying. But many websites demand you login with twitter or facebook these days.
It’s easy – make a new facebook account.
A lot of today’s children need to learn how to behave.Period.
We want kids to behave online, yet there is a section of society that still refuses to teach their children to behave in any circumstances. They seem to feel entitled. The tell their kids they can basically do what they want, and “he can’t tell you to do that” or “you have a right to do that”. They aggressively defend their children’s rights, never the rights of those their children are upsetting.
I live in a large estate and just recently witnessed several young children, most not yet in their teens, attacking a young mothers house to get at her young son. My son is a large tattooed mixed martial arts fighter, a roar from him saw them off, but it shouldn’t have happened. Their parents are the “my little Johnny wouldn’t do that” type. This is where we need to start, educating those parents, do that and they’ll look after their own kids. Everyone else doesn’t need it.
anyone that disagrees with this sentiment, your children definitely need education, and so do you
Most Adults don’t understand the internet full stop, and alot of adults don’t really care how there own children behave on the internet, you can be sure these same adults who are crying out about there children being bullied on the internet have never looked at what there own children are possibly writing on the internet in response to others. These social media sites like ask.fm and bebo ect amoung others don’t moderate or care what people discuss, they purely want hits to generate revenue from adverts ect or to sell premium services.
We have come to live in a society where we see tragic events like what happened recently with these children and others and we blame the internet and we blame cyber bullies ect, while they are ofc part of the problem, the other side is the parents. We are to fast to pin blame for everything on outside sources and while much of it probably is, some of it does fall on the parents of these 13 year old children who just let them browse away on a media device like a Pc that can access some very nasty media. Would these same parents go and bring there 13 year old children to a 18 cert movie? ofc they probably would not! but they would let them sit infront of a device that can give them access to hardcore porn or to graphic violence nevermind all the other stuff they can access.
Parents and I am one myself and I use the internet alot should really think before they allow there children access to the internet and if they are going to allow it they should be capable of monitoring what they are doing and have some knowledge about how to check browser history and how to block websites and use passwords to prevent there children access to certain sites.
Many Irish adults need to educate themselves regarding the internet, Yet again this highlights our education system that has failed in many ways, Not only do we have people that still can not read or write but many would not even know how to turn on a computer, True education comes from the home and we need to get back to basics on many things, God Bless those girls and their families & friends, So sad…..
Privacy settings are fine-but you also check the history on the computer to see what they have been looking at!..but I’m sure,they would find that soon enough!..
I completely agree that respect for others should be taught in the home by the parents. However not every parent is bothered to do this and the whole community and online community suffer the fallout with the result being bullying and tragic suicides as we have sadly seen. Schools can only do so much and it must be soul-destroying for a teacher to instil respect in students only to see it undone at home. I believe all social networking sites should be forced to publish links to sites which help and advise victims of bullying whether it’s online or in the real world
You mean how to behave full stop!
It’s odd. 25 years ago would you give a 14 year old access to print media ? Imagine the results. Hot metal bullying. Who should be surprised with cyber bullying
Social media is a serious public forum as newspapers once were. Serious journalism leads opinion, sets agendas, offers unbiased and considered news. Serious social media (Facebook, twitter, etc) should be available only to a qualified user. Time to control its use
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