Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 9 October 2019

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs

Youth Mental Health: Discussion (Resumed)

Ms Rachael Treanor:

For 15 to 19 year olds, their whole life is online and we cannot deny that everything they do is on social media. Therefore, it is having an impact on them but they have no capacity and they have not developed those core competencies to have the resilience to make good decisions because everything is online. The National Office for Suicide Prevention spoke about the death of the high profile DJ and the "13 Reasons Why" series. This has an impact on young people because that is what they are living through. If it is reported through the media with a sensational headline but without the facts underneath, that plays a role in influencing young people. It is brilliant that the World Health Organization, WHO, has developed guidelines in and around suicide, the media and development programmes but there is still a case to be made around media reporting.

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