This one-hour webinar, ‘Digital Devices, Real Impacts: A Conversation on Children’s Smartphone Use’, explored children and young people’s engagement with digital technologies, focusing on mental health, online safety, and digital literacy.
The first session examined emerging research on social media and device use, exploring what constitutes problematic use, the potential impacts on brain development and wellbeing, and where evidence ends and assumptions begin. The second session highlighted current trends in online behaviour and digital engagement, with a focus on children’s rights and safety online. Speakers shared practical strategies and insights for parents, educators, and policymakers to support young people in navigating the digital landscape safely and responsibly.
Webinar Overview - what to expect:
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Dr Blánaid Gavin is a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and academic at UCD, specialising in ADHD. Her work spans clinical practice, teaching, and research, with a particular focus on broadening understanding of youth mental health and improving outcomes for young people and their families.
Annie Wilson is a PhD researcher, working on the design and co-piloting of a toolkit to aid parents of children (aged 10-16) to be better informed in a rapidly evolving technological landscape, in Ireland. Annie has a B.A. in Psychology, and is a qualified play therapist. She also has a B.A. in Economics and a M.B.S. in Project Management. She worked for many years in a global role in the financial sector.
Outline of the session: The first session of the webinar will explore the complex, often polarising conversation around digital devices, social media and youth mental health. Drawing on the latest evidence, the talk will untangle what constitutes problematic use, how it’s currently defined, and what emerging neuroscience tells us—while highlighting the many unanswered questions. With a balanced, evidence-aware lens, the session will examine potential impacts on brain development, wellbeing, and mental illness, clarifying where solid science ends and assumptions begin.
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Alex Cooney has spent her whole career in the not-for-profit sector, working in the international development sector for a number of years. In 2015 she co-founded CyberSafeIreland, now known as CyberSafeKids, and is currently its CEO. CyberSafeKids is recognised as Ireland’s national voice for children’s online safety – a catalyst that convenes parents, policymakers, educators, and partners to deliver systemic change. Both personally as a parent, and professionally, she is extremely passionate about ensuring that children and young people are equipped to be online in a safe and smart way and that the online world is made safer for them. Alex completed a QQI Level 6 component certificate in Child Psychology in 2019, a Professional Certificate in Digital Policy at UCD in 2022 and holds a Master’s Degree in Peace Studies from Trinity College Dublin, in addition to an MA from the University of Edinburgh.
Outline of the session: In the wider debate over whether to ban children from use of smartphones and/or social media, Alex will present the latest trends and usage data produced by CyberSafeKids, and examine their implications. She will also outline her vision for what is truly needed to uphold children’s rights online — and why current regulation does not go far enough.
Webinar Chair: Dr Mattia Messena, Co-Chair of the CRN Digital Technologies Special Interest Group.
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