Presentation by Timmy Hammersley from Spunout.ie.
“Encouraging healthy online behavior among Children and Teenagers. Timmy’s very engaging presentation highlighted some stark statistics on what Spunout’s audience is searching for. The most-read article on the website is “List of free STI clinics in Ireland” while the second most read is “Your rights when being searched by the Gardaí. Spunout’s mission is “To empower young people throughout Ireland with information, tools, resources, and opportunities to enable informed decision-making and facilitate positive change in our lives and in our communities”. Timmy’s presentation went on to highlight what he felt were the most relevant topics for discussion on the night
Engage with your child
Timmy explained to the audience the importance of talking to your child early and often after educating yourself on the issues that may affect them. And by putting yourself in your child’s place your perspective may change. He felt that it is very important to respect their privacy but to also set expectations and monitor them continuously. Offering support and making sure they have the correct resources and strategies in place so that if a difficulty arises they are comfortable enough to tell someone about it.
Teach values and empathy
The importance of empathy and respectful values was discussed and the two distinctive types of values were outlined as Tangible (material things) and Intangible (love, honesty, kindness, etc.
Digital Citizenship
“Digital Citizenship was explained as “a term used to define the appropriate and responsible use of technology”. Timmy spoke about Respect, Education, and Protection as the most important pillars to ensuring the responsible use of today’s technology.
Digital Detox
And finally, a discussion was held over the importance of taking time out from online activity and how liberating it can be. Timmy explained that this form of detoxification has gained popularity as individuals have increased their time spent on digital devices and the internet.
