Ireland should use presidency to advance online child protection, French official says
Social media platforms should be given a safety score to allow parents and users assess their suitability, high commissioner says
Social Media
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A trivial comedy for serious YA readers, and more summer page-turners for teens
Prolific author Elle Kennedy has published her first YA novel, Thornbird, a satisfyingly twisty and swoony mystery tale
Twin Reeks: Frank McNally on a new, virtual reality Croagh Patrick and the real (but changing) thing
Preparing to climb the old-fashioned way, I am reminded that the modern Reek Sunday is nothing like it was 25 or 30 years ago
Ireland could push under-16 social media restriction, despite commissioner favouring lower age limit
Over 82 per cent of young people attending a conference on children’s voices were very concerned about content available online
Judge speaks out about toxic masculinity while jailing young man for rape
Case is ‘cautionary warning against the kind of influences on young men these days’, judge says
The news learned to follow us everywhere. No wonder we are hiding from it
Many people no longer feel they have control over when they read the news as outlets chase engagement
Hell is empty and all the devils are in my social media feed
Most people I encounter are not bigots, or psychopaths. But as soon as I open a social media app, I’m faced with a terrible and lurid array of aggravating things
Two psychologists are at war over children and phones. Which one is right?
Both Peter Gray and Jonathan Haidt believe that children are over-supervised in childhood. But they differ on phones
Teenage boys in Ireland: ‘Now that everyone has a phone, the bullying never stops’
Four Irish teenagers talk about navigating friendships and social hierarchies in the era of social media and the manosphere
Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke – Your jaw will hit the floor again and again
Documentary on momfluencer is a disquieting portrayal of manipulation behind the picket fences of an idyllic town
Kerry election candidate jailed for contempt after ‘manifestly unfair’ hearing, High Court rules
Michelle Keane purged her contempt after spending what judge said were ‘three difficult days’ in Limerick Prison
X launches fresh court challenges against Coimisiún na Meán
Latest legal actions could involve decisions on complaints against social media giant
Social media linked to nearly a quarter of risky driving behaviour in young people
Six in 10 young drivers would overtake a cyclist without leaving enough space to keep other drivers happy, UCD study finds
France approves social media ban for children under 15 in first for Europe
Ban is first to be enacted in Europe as concerns grow about impacts on health and safety of minors globally
Australia’s ban on social media for under-16s has jolted EU into belated action
Minister for Communications Patrick O’Donovan wants restrictions on online access for children in place by the end of this year
Ireland’s new digital wallet could store driving licence, birth cert and passport
The use of the app will not be compulsory and older forms of ID will still be usable
My children won’t be getting smartphones any time soon
Design features such as notifications, streaks and autoplay worry me just as much as harmful content
Government favours blanket ban on social media for under-16s despite EU proposals
European Commission report calls for staged approach with total ban only affecting young people under 13 years of age
There are few things more life-affirming than a dancing robot going haywire
It functions, among other things, as an antidote to the relentless propagandising of the tech world, with its insistence on AI as an inevitable replacement of human labour
The new Gen Z dating rules: ‘Why am I advertising myself for love?’
Reliant on social media and dating apps to kindle relationships, love lives become a series of online logistics and mind games
Irish people are 13th happiest in the world yet loneliest in the EU. It doesn’t add up
We should do what the Finns do: give ourselves a pat on the back for all that is good in this country of ours
Pencil grips and handwriting in the digital age
The time it takes to amend a pencil grip may be enough to stop an individual from writing
Séamas O’Reilly: Social media bans for children ignore the scorpions in the room
We already have ways of mitigating online harms – they are enshrined in laws we refuse to enact
Irish step up on Love Island as influencer Charleen Murphy makes it to the villa
Murphy is one of Ireland’s top beauty, fashion and lifestyle influencers, with almost half a million followers on both TikTok and Instagram
‘Sharenting’ is riskier than ever but that probably won’t stop us
Embarrassment is just one risk when you share images of your children online in an AI-enabled world
Screen time can damage under-twos’ development, landmark UK study warns
Researchers warn screen use at such a young age may increase overstimulation and have implications for eye health and childhood obesity
What should Ireland do as EU president? A to-do list by Fintan O’Toole, Lara Marlowe and others
The EU budget, online safety, Ukraine’s accession, removing red tape from green energy, or neutrality – what should the Government prioritise?
Girls growing up in Ireland: ‘I’m sitting on the bus and there’s grown men making comments’
Four teenagers reflect on issues that affect them, including unwanted male attention, social media and the importance of female friendship
Andrew Tate fails in attempt to force prosecutors to reveal identities of accusers
The social media influencer and his brother face charges including rape but have yet to be extradited from Romania
AIB reports huge increase in fraudulent investment site activity this year
Consumers urged to exercise caution as number of takedown requests between January and May is 1,500 times the figures for all of 2025
Social media now a weapon of hate and incitement, too
Destructive consequences flow when extremism is permitted to overwhelm rationality
‘Concrete proposals’ being prepared by EU on restricting social media use for under-16s
Micheál Martin says momentum building for common position across bloc
Loneliness influencers: The odd appeal of ‘living alone, no friends’ diaries
Solitude vloggers destigmatise being friendless – but they also normalise an unhealthy kind of loneliness
Social media ban for under-16s fails to address tech companies’ responsibility
A blanket ban could lead young people into greater danger on less regulated or entirely unregulated sites
Most Irish adults favour social media ban for under-16s, poll says
Curbs to be introduced in Britain to stop children and teens using apps such as TikTok, Instagram and X
Readers on the UK’s social media ban: banning algorithms would be ‘far more effective’ for children’s safety online
Retired principal says she would support the banning of smartphones for under-16s
Racism being ‘promoted by people in serious leadership positions’ around the world, McAleese says
Former president compares AI to the ‘garbage’ people were fed by Church and State at the time she was growing up
Ireland ready to restrict social media for children even without EU agreement, Minister says
Move would be ‘embarrassing’ for the EU, Patrick O’Donovan says
Irish people trust major news brands, but are switching off more, report shows
Trust lowest among younger people and highest among over-65s
With the UK set to ban social media for under-16s, what is next for Ireland?
Proposal will see children’s access to platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook and X restricted
UK to ban social media access for children under-16s
Hardline measures will prevent young users from being able to talk to strangers on gaming apps
‘It’s like a shop in your pocket’: How TikTok Shop is changing Irish retail
Online shopping is evolving rapidly and presenting new challenges all the time to inevitably less nimble ‘bricks and mortar’ high-street stores
Before reaching for your phone in the morning, breathe yourself into the present moment
There are some simple steps you can take to develop an enduring wellbeing and drown out the external noise
Canada is banning social media use for children under 16; what steps have others taken?
As Ireland promises to push for similar legislation, lawmakers should look at experiences beyond the English-speaking world
Virgin Media TV has removed episode featuring man’s body, High Court hears
Episode taken down from streaming service and social media pending resolution of dispute, court hears
Doctor found guilty of misconduct over Covid-19 posts on social media
Dublin GP Marcus de Brun also found guilty of professional misconduct over attendance and comments at a public rally during pandemic
Meta scores a rare win on EU regulation
EU’s general court rules Facebook Marketplace should not be regulated under bloc’s Digital Markets Act
Employment in tech sector rose at steepest rate for a year in May despite Meta cuts
Year-ahead outlook ‘improved further’, according to AIB data, despite fears of job displacement from AI
Does your life lack direction? Too much urgency may be to blame
Technology, capitalism and democracy itself seem to be accelerating short-term thinking
Women are now being commanded to ‘lift heavy’ in the gym by algorithms
Nothing about floor-shaking music, other people’s sweat and alarming metal contraptions tempts me
Judge warns against identifying youths charged in relation to Alex Coughlan assault
Coughlan (37) died days after assault on Mill Road in Blanchardstown, Dublin
The Ijen volcano: Can this East Java marvel live up to the Instagram hype?
Is the much Instagrammed destination worth the hype?
Please stop talking about Gen Z in the office
Mindless generational labels don’t help at a time when the workplace is one of the few places where young and old mix
Aer Lingus executive takes ‘exception’ to sacked pilot’s claim of ‘falsifying’ safety report
Employee claims he was ‘poisoned’ by toxic fumes while in command of an Aer Lingus jet
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Stardust
Inquests into the nightclub fire that led to the deaths of 48 people
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
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