Help keep your children safe online with this new Irish resource

Children are spending an increasingly bigger proportion of their lives online.

These past 12 months really brought this home for many parents, with many worrying about not only the time their children were spending online, but also the type of content they are consuming or accessing while there. And this is why the ISPCC and the Vodafone Ireland Foundation have now come together to launch Digital Ready Hub to help parents and carers keep children safe online. The Digital Ready Hub is an online resource for parents and carers keen to learn more about how they can support children and young people to have safe, positive, online experiences. The Digital Ready Hub will allow parents and carers to check in and see how they are doing when it comes to children and young people’s online safety by taking the ISPCC’s ‘Digital Ready Check’. This supportive and informative tool showcases how they can broaden their knowledge to empower them to further support children and young people. Also featured on the Hub are articles, downloadable tips and guides on topics including digital resilience and empathy; digital platforms and devices; online risks and cyberbullying, security and privacy. Clinical Psychologist Dr David Coleman, Cyberpsychology Lecturer Dr Nicola Fox Hamilton, Newstalk Technology Correspondent Jess Kelly and Primary School Principal Iseult Mangan are among the contributors sharing insights and knowledge across all aspects of children and young people’s online safety on the Digital Ready Hub, which is available at www.ispcc.ie/ispcc-digital-ready-hub/. Vodafone Ireland and ISPCC Childline have been working with the joint vision of keeping children safe by keeping them connected. The ISPCC’s Childline Listening Service receives up to 800 calls, texts and online contacts from children and young people across Ireland every day with many vulnerable users more in need of the service than ever before. From 12^th March 2020 to 7^th March 2021, Childline saw a 14% increase in online live chat contacts (via Childline.ie) with the Covid-19 pandemic greatly impacting children and young people’s lives. Many of those in contact with Childline are experiencing mental health difficulties, impacted by tensions at home, experiencing isolation, missing their activities, extended family members and other supports in their lives. “We are delighted to be announcing the launch of the comprehensive ‘Digital Ready Hub’, which has been made possible with thanks to the generous support of the Vodafone Ireland Foundation," says ISPCC Childline Chief Executive John Church said. "The Hub is packed with information and guidance and will be a one-stop destination for parents and carers seeking to help ensure their children can have safe and positive experiences online." He continues: "We know from our work directly with children, young people, parents and carers that they feel the online world presents a fantastic breadth of positive opportunities, but that safety is paramount, and they can be exposed to potential risks. With life being increasingly lived online, it is important that parents and carers know the pivotal role they can play in this area. The ‘Digital Ready Hub’ will help to equip and empower them by providing a ‘Digital Ready Check’, as well as expert guidance, articles, tips and guides on how to support children and young people to become resilient, empathetic, digital citizens." Speaking about the launch, Liz Roche, Head of The Vodafone Ireland Foundation said: “Vodafone Ireland is delighted to partner with the ISPCC to launch the new Digital Ready Hub. The digital landscape is constantly changing so a resource like the Digital Ready Hub is an important way of educating parents and carers by offering information and advice they can trust when it comes to navigating the online world. Giving parents and carers access to the Digital Ready Hub will allow them to become equipped with the skills needed to navigate the digital future for their families.”   The ISPCC Digital Ready Hub can be accessed at www.ispcc.ie/ispcc-digital-ready-hub/.