A space where youths feel heard and empowered

A new support group for teens offers in-person guidance to help them navigate an increasingly digital world

Assistant Professor Ray O'Niell: 'There’s a reason why young people are going onto social media and seeking affirmation there.'

Fri, 28 Aug, 2026 - 09:19

Deirdre McArdle

The real-world consequences of risky behaviours are often hidden or delayed in the digital world where today’s teens spend so much of their time.

That’s according to Dr Ray O’Neill, assistant professor in psychotherapy at Dublin City University. “We’re living in a world in which consequences are invisible or are only realised tragically too late.”

O’Neill is working with Beara West Resource Centre in Castletownbere to launch a weekly group meeting for teens aged between 13 and 15. The Scoop will run for 12 weeks from September 10.

The consequences of risky behaviours will be one of the topics he and his fellow mentors will be chatting to young people about in The Scoop.

Following the recent tragedy on the M9, and similar incidents, where groups of young men livestream themselves driving at speed the wrong way on Irish roads, exploring this topic is even more urgent, says O’Neill.

“Young people are living lives in social media where they don’t see or imagine the consequences, like a head-on car collision and innocent people being injured,” he says.

Incidents such as the one on the M9, which saw five teenagers die and left four members of a family in critical condition, are outliers. However, they have renewed concerns about a generation of young people who are growing up in an increasingly digital world.

Through in-person conversations with young people, O’Neill says The Scoop will explore the wide-reaching impact of social media on their lives. “Only a 15-year-old in 2026 can know what it’s like to be a 15-year-old in 2026,” he says.

“There’s a reason why young people are going onto social media and seeking affirmation there.

“We are living in a different set of times, but thi ngs aren’t that different that we can’t learn from all sitting down with each other.”

Isolation is a common experience for young people today, says O’Neill. And with so many of their interactions happening in the digital space, it’s easy to see why.

According to a 2025 OECD report on social connections, young people are experiencing rising relationship dissatisfaction and worsening social support, while meeting with friends in person less frequently.

Experts often stress the importance of “one good adult” in supporting young people’s mental health. It could be a parent, a teacher, a social worker or a counsellor, says O’Neill, adding that one good peer could also make a difference to a young person who may be experiencing issues.

“At The Scoop we want to try and create a space where young people could perhaps become better advocates for themselves and for their peers.” An advocate or ‘one good peer’ could be the one who asks the question, “Are you sure you want to have one more drink or get in that car?” or maybe points out the possible consequences to their friend.

O’Neill believes that hardline reactions are not the way forward. Instead, he suggests chatting to young people about alcohol, sex, drugs, phone and social media usage, and offering them a different view.

They do need to experience things like alcohol. They do need to experience sexuality, but in an age-appropriate way, and only conversations can decide that. Because what I think is appropriate at 15 may not be what the 15-year-old thinks is appropriate.

It’s good to be curious about life, he says, “but we need to explain that they need to be mindful too. What happens if we drink this or smoke that? There are consequences. If you’re sexually curious, think about the other person, too. Consider the medium or longer term. Where might that action bring you?”

If teens are focused on thrill-seeking, he says, the behaviour often escalates. “You take more drugs. You consume more alcohol. You do more dangerous driving. You stay on your phones looking for more and more all the time. So we need to re-frame it — we talk about how the substances they use can be misused and abused.”

O’Neill cautions that any conversation needs to take a neutral or positive approach. Today’s conversations with young people on sexual health, for example, offer in-depth information on STIs or unwanted pregnancies, but he says we need to balance these conversations with positives like pleasure, agency and self-worth too.

“Even though you or I may not see them as positives, young people might see them as positives. So, in terms of mental health, we need to have a wider conversation that’s around what will make you happy in the long run? How do you have a relationship with sorrow and joy, with hope and frustration, with negatives and positives, so that you can make an informed choice?”

For many of us growing up in the 1980s or 1990s, bullying and peer pressure happened in person. “But with online and social media, you don’t know what’s happening because it’s an imaginary realm, and we can’t bring real-world strategies to an imaginary realm.”

He points out that while social media is a place to meet, “it’s not a place to relate”.

“Relating happens in real exchanges, be it phone calls, be it video calls, and obviously be it sitting down and meeting in person.”

Nothing is perfect, but it’s essential we meet in real life, he says. “We need to negotiate with other people for better and for worse. You have a different opinion from me. I need to sit down and either live with that or discuss it. Not to get into a fight with you about it or say, ‘You’re completely wrong’, but that’s where the online thing doesn’t work, it doesn’t get nuance.”

Calling early intervention “everything”, O’Neill and his three other colleagues at The Scoop aim to create a space where young people feel heard, supported, and empowered.

“We get that growing up these days, especially with social media, isn’t always easy, and navigating friendships, school, social media, and family life can feel overwhelming. The Scoop provides a relaxed, welcoming space where young people can speak openly, build confidence, and learn practical tools for everyday life, guided by supportive mentors.”