Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Online dangers are not abstract but are absolutely real. It affects us all in our real lives. The truth is that so many treat it as a remote thing, as academic and as someone else's problem but as I said, it is real, and the harm is absolutely happening to all of us, not only to children. I agree with other speakers. The culprit is not just social media but the business model behind it, the personalised, algorithm-driven platforms pushing content to children and vulnerable adults, not because it is good for them or for us but because it maximises engagement, data collection and profit. Bad news and angry voices travel far faster than anything positive. Recent research on TikTok and platforms like it is really stark. Multiple peer-reviewed studies link problematic use of TikTok with increased rates of anxiety, depression and sleep disturbance and lower self-esteem among adolescents. I am sure it is the same for adults. One systematic review concluded that while robust evidence remains incomplete, there is a consistent finding of an impact across studies of youth mental health and well-being.

As other members have highlighted, sadly, online discourse leads to horrendous, despicable crimes in real life. Beyond the clinical, there is a feeling that algorithms on TikTok do not treat children with the care we expect for minors. As described by watchdogs, the "For You" feed is designed to funnel children towards content that is dangerous, encouraging self-harm, distorted body image, addictive scrolling and mental health deterioration. By the time the Government launches its pilot scheme for age verification and digital wallets, the damage may already have been done. Damage has been done to so many of our children already. As a parent and a public representative, I am deeply concerned that the horse has already bolted. In Ireland, we see waiting lists for mental health supports ballooning, increasing demands for CAMHS, growing reports of teenage loneliness, anxiety, self-harm and poor mental health. Our children and young people are under unprecedented pressure and now they are being preyed upon by social media algorithms that treat their vulnerabilities as opportunities.

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