Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 18 October 2017

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs

Cyber Security: Discussion (Resumed)

9:30 am

Professor Brian O'Neill:

It should, of course, be a key element. There is a very diverse environment and young people seek out all kinds of content which guides them in terms of their aspirations and provides key sources for identity development. All companies have a great responsibility in what they make available in the public domain. Dealing with these issues also comes down to educating young people about their media literacy in order that they can understand images and how to approach them with real critical discrimination in order to determine their messages and the messages which circulate among peers. That has been ongoing emphasis of the education effort.

On the mental health domain more generally, there is a lot of expertise among children's charities in addressing this issue and particularly in reaching vulnerable children. For many, this may not be an issue, but for vulnerable children, in particular, we must ensure there is provision and support, that teachers and parents are alert to potential problems which may arise and that companies and providers are sensitised in how they respond when potential issues of disclosure arise.

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