Welcome back to Everymum the podcast, with me Aisling Keenan. If you’re a parent right now, chances are your child is spending at least some part of their day online, whether that's gaming, chatting with friends, watching videos. It’s just become part of modern childhood. But how much do we actually know about what children are doing online, and how protected they really are? New research from CyberSafeKids, which surveyed more than 3,300 primary school children and 1,700 parents across Ireland, suggests there’s a pretty significant gap between how parents think children are using the internet, and what’s actually happening. More than half of children aged 8 to 12 say they have no parental restrictions when it comes to online contact meaning they can chat or game with people they don’t know. Only about 4 in 10 say their parents can monitor what they do online. And despite age limits on most social media platforms, nearly 70 percent of children in that age group already have at least one account. At the same time, many parents say they feel overwhelmed by the speed of change. I know I do. A quarter say they simply don’t understand the apps or games their children are using, and nearly half admit the rules they set around screen time or online activity aren’t always enforced. So how worried should parents actually be? What are the real risks children face online today particularly with the rise of AI tools and deepfakes, and just as importantly, what are the practical things families can do to keep children safe without turning the internet into a battleground at home? To talk about all of that and more, I’m joined by Alex Cooney, CEO of CyberSafeKids, Ireland’s national voice for children’s online safety and digital rights. This is essential listening for any parent with a device in their home, be it an ipad, a phone, a smartwatch or even just a wifi connection. I'll be back next week with more.
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