Ms Rachel O'Connor:

A very interesting point has been raised. My school took part in the My World Survey in 2018 and 2019. Some 10,500 students across the country took part in it. At the time, 92% of our students said they had a social media account and 53% of students said they reported spending more than three hours online per day. In my office, I have to deal with parents and guardians who are bereft over Johnny being online until 2 a.m., 3 a.m. or 4 a.m. and the impact it is having on him. I did not have a clue what the game Fortnite was. All the students in the school were obsessed with it. One of the times that most impacted our students was when Fortnite went offline for no reason for 24 or 48 hours. The impact was because of students' dependency on interacting with others online and engaging in this game. I will never forget it. Social media in itself, aside from the bullying aspect, is having a massive impact. Students are digital natives; we are digital migrants. I am constantly trying to keep up with what they are using. We are constantly playing catch-up.