Cybersmarties.com and An Garda Siochána unite to tackle cyber-bullying

One in five Irish children have been victims of bullying through social media

Life

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8 January 2020

One in five Irish children have been victims of bullying through social media, according to ZenithOptimedia research. To combat this, Cybersmarties.com and The Garda National Protective Services Bureau are joining forces to tackle cyber-bullying and promote positive mental health among primary school children.

The social network training platform for children, Cybersmarties.com, was designed to introduce seven to 12-year olds to the world of social media in a safe, child-friendly way. More than 80,000 kids currently use the site.

Cybersmarties.com recently received the An Garda Siochána Patent for Safety for endorsing child internet safety. The accolade highlights the need for greater awareness and education when it comes to protecting primary school kids from cyber-bullying.

By using unique emotional learning technology, Cybersmarties.com detects and protects children as they send messages and demonstrates why certain content may upset others. The platform aims to give children the necessary tools to deal with fear, anxiety and stress and to teach positive coping mechanisms. It also uses positive reinforcement devices, health and fitness videos and meditation.

According to the company, it hopes to eradicate cyber-bullying by teaching users how to positively engage with social media. Its research found that well-being technology resulted in a 94% reduction in inappropriate online behaviour among children.

Commenting on the An Garda Siochána Patent for Safety, Diarmuid Hudner, CEO, CyberSmarties.com said; “Ultimately, we all want our children to grow up happy, be equipped with the skills to protect themselves online and behave in a positive way and as importantly learn essential life coping skills to help them deal with different forms of pressure.

“It is our intention that Irish children will use social media in an entirely positive way as they mature into teenagers and adults and what a great society we would have if cyber-bullying was no longer a factor in so many people’s lives. The An Garda Siochána patent for Safety is a testament to the safety features we have implemented to ensure children are kept safe online.”

For more information, visit cybersmarties.com

TechCentral Reporters