A warning to anyone, as if it was needed, about the dangers that exist on the Internet.
Friday night’s Late Late Show featured a panel discussion about the dangers facing children using social media apps in Ireland, a discussion that took place in the wake of a 26-year-old man being sentenced to nine and a half years in prison in a truly disturbing case of child exploitation.
As part of the segment on the show, Ryan Tubridy revealed that a member of the Late Late Show team had set up an account on the instant messaging app Kik, masquerading as a 13-year-old girl named ‘Aoife’, in an effort to highlight what children can be subjected to online.
Before screenshots of some of the messages received by ‘Aoife’ were displayed, Tubridy warned that viewers of a delicate disposition might want to avert their eyes and that what was displayed was “the mild end” of what they bore witness to over the past week.
Tubridy also revealed that ‘Aoife’ received her first inappropriate message just eight minutes after creating the account in a public group set up to discuss pop music.
This is what happened when the #LateLate show team set up a Kik account for a 13 year old called Aoife to see if people are over-reacting about smartphone safety. pic.twitter.com/PP0YQEUvg9
— The Late Late Show (@RTELateLateShow) January 26, 2018
The segment also featured a panel discussion featuring child psychologist David Coleman, CyberSafeIreland’s Cliona Curley and Irish Daily Mail editor Sebastian Hamilton, while Tubridy also spoke to a number of teenage girls in the audience about access to smartphones and their online habits.
It also featured a reference to resources parents, teachers and schools can use to promote safer online habits, such as Webwise and CyberSafeIreland.
Thanks for the mention Ryan @RTELateLateShow @CyberSafeIE. We have lots of free and helpful resources for parents, teachers and schools. https://t.co/Lv7Tt83Cpg #education #internetsafety
— Webwise (@Webwise_Ireland) January 26, 2018
Image-sharing and #consent are important topics for teens online today. The #Forever video is a great way to start the conversation with your children or students in school. #LateLate pic.twitter.com/zx4HTlQN4d
— Webwise (@Webwise_Ireland) January 26, 2018
You can catch up on Friday night’s episode of the Late Late Show on the RTÉ Player.
