Over half (54%) of sixth class pupils and 17% of first class pupils have spoken to a stranger online. Furthermore, half of fifth class pupils spend over one hour a day ‘screen time’ using devices like smartphones, tablets and PCs.
The findings were revealed in digital skills app developer Zeeko’s Digital Trends Report, conducted on a sample of 2,200 pupils across 45 primary schools in Ireland. The Report also found that just over a quarter (26%) of second class and a third (34%) of sixth class students said they had experienced cyberbullying themselves or knew someone who did.
Zeeko was set-up in 2013 by Joe Kenny to address the lack of attention being given to the growing dominance of the Internet in children’s lives. The Enterprise Ireland-backed company now provides training and education to parents and educators to help protect children online. To this end, the company is planning to raise €5,000 through crowdfunding website Kickstarter to distribute a digital copy of its Internet Safety Guide to parents and educators in all 3,300 primary schools in Ireland this year.
“Some of the results of this report indicate that children as young as six and seven are creating their own online digital relationships by interacting with strangers online. This should be of concern to parents and educators,” said Kenny. “The Internet is a great resource and has enormous potential in the education setting as we know however, there are also many risks online especially for children.
The Report also noted that iOS devices such as iPads and iPhones were consistently the most popular over similar devices using the Android operating system.
“As mobile devices and powerful hand held computers become more available and less expensive it is becoming more difficult for parents to restrict access. Many parents tell us that their children have apps or are using social media sites without their consent. Our advice to parents is that the best thing they can do is teach children how to navigate the internet safely. The feedback from parents attending our seminars is very positive. Parents are looking for information and guidance in this area.”
Commenting on the report, Dr Grainne Kirwan, Department of Learning Sciences at IADT, said: “Online activities such as social media and gaming have been found to have many benefits for young people, including enhancement of interpersonal relationships and social interaction, expression of identity, enhanced self-esteem, self-affirmation, leadership skills, cognitive benefits, and many more. However, there are also many negative issues which can arise in online environments, such as cyberbullying.
“In my experience in over 13 years of researching online activities this is an area where great care must be taken in developing responses and policy, and while a blanket ban on online activities might seem to be an appropriate and straightforward solution, many young people will find ways of accessing what is forbidden to them.
“In reality, the Internet is so much a part of daily life now, it will soon be impossible for parents to restrict access to it. Parents and educators need to guide children on how to behave in online environments to reduce risk, and provide support for their problems and questions. This is no different from the guidance children receive in the offline world where rules are well established for managing risky behaviours, for example, crossing the road, learning how to drive, or cycling in traffic.”
Further information on Zeeko’s crowdfunding campaign is available here.
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