Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 13 February 2018

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs

Cybersecurity for Children and Young Adults: Discussion (Resumed)

1:30 pm

Dr. Mary Aiken:

A ban in schools is a separate issue. It would be too extreme to use legislation to ban smartphones. We could set up rules in schools in order that there might be a ban in a primary school or even a secondary school.

In terms of what happens in the home, we have to involve parents. If we were to have guidelines which state smartphones were not suitable for kids under the age of 14 years, parents would pay attention. It is like underage drinking. We ban kids under the age of 18 years from buying alcohol or being in pubs, but that does not stop parents from sitting down - perhaps a father and a son - with their 17-year-old and having a beer. That is fine in the home and the safety and security of that environment. Something similar could happen with mobile phones. An individual parent might decide that his or her 13-year-old is particularly mature and be happy to allow it. We have to involve parents in the process. I am not in favour of having a prescriptive ban. Banning technology sounds like we are Luddites. We are both pro-technology. We just want to introduce it in an age appropriate way and to involve parents in the process.