'Power of the collective' can end primary school children's use of smartphones, says minister

Parentline CEO Aileen Hickie strongly said the issue of children owning smartphones at a young age dominates a “huge amount” of calls to the national parent helpline.

Education Minister Norma Foley has said a move to end the ownership of smartphones by primary school-aged children can only be achieved through the "power of the collective" as she called for parents to "buy in" to the idea.

Ms Foley said the guidelines and resources from her department and WebWise would prompt a strong response and would discourage parents from purchasing phones for their children.

"I think parents will be very pleased to think that they will be part of a collective here, that they aren't working in isolation, that other parents would buy in with them into and it's true, this is voluntary,” she said.

After engaging with academics and the Irish internet safety awareness centre WebWise on the issue, Ms Foley said it is their view that it is better to empower parents to make the decision, adding that there was no question that the devices would be banned.

She said there are concerns that smartphone use among primary school children increases the risk of cyberbullying and exposure to violence and sexual content and also impacts sleep.

Ms Foley stopped short of urging parents not to purchase phones for their children this Christmas but said she did not believe it was appropriate for younger students to have them.

The minister denied that the scheme had taken any precedence over a shortage of teachers.

The Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) said it was not consulted on the guidelines adding that concerns over staffing shortages in schools is an issue that warrants Ms Foley's “immediate attention”. Labour's Aodhán Ó Ríordáin said it was a "joke" to be drafting guidelines on smartphones at a time when there are such shortages.

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Meanwhile, Parentline CEO Aileen Hickie strongly welcomed the move saying the issue of children owning smartphones at a young age dominates a “huge amount” of calls to the national parent helpline.

Although those concerned parents purchased the phone for their child, Ms Hickie said this is due to smartphone ownership becoming a “rite of passage”. She said the fact that most children as young as 10 are given phones means those without one often become stigmatised and isolated, resulting in their parents "giving in".

“While they’ve done that, it doesn’t take away their concerns over the use of smartphones,” she said which commonly include those referenced by Ms Foley as well as oversharing personal information. 

She believes the vast majority of parents of primary school children would be in favour of a collective decision to not buy smartphones.

Jigsaw Director of Communications Mike Mansfield said the youth mental health charity strongly believes the guidelines must be well-grounded in evidence “and should involve the voice and views of young people themselves”.

He said any decision regarding a restriction or banning of smartphones should be thoroughly considered, taking into account a broad range of viewpoints.

“Through our daily interactions with young people, we know about the central role that technology plays in their lives, sometimes for good, and sometimes less so.

“This is a complex issue, and decisions should not be made in isolation. We're certainly more than willing to contribute to this at Jigsaw, helping ensuring that it's well-informed and inclusive,” he said.