Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 28 June 2022

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills

Young Social Innovators: Discussion

Mr. Darragh Rawson:

My take is that we all know there are helplines and people to talk to but, as Ms Sheppard said, some people do not want to admit that they are not okay. They think that if they admit it, then they are not okay. They refuse to think they will ever be okay. In my opinion, if people get to the stage where they might need help, speaking to somebody, even once, to get it of their chest could make a big difference. We recommend advertising it more. It is a big problem on social media that people get shamed for the way they look or dress, or even things they say. It is all peer pressure. The confidence level of teenagers nowadays has dropped significantly as a result of social media.