Parents warned of smartphone dangers

Parents who bought young children smartphones for Christmas need to educate themselves on the risks around cyberbullying, a teachers’ leader has warned.

General secretary of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation, Sheila Nunan, said she could not think why a primary school pupil would be given a smartphone, but any parent doing so should know the dangers and be able to deal with problems that can arise.

“Many parents don’t understand the technology and therefore lack the ability to keep their children safe online. Parents need to know how children use phones and computers, without this understanding it is very difficult to protect children from harm,” Ms Nunan said.