Gavan Reilly: Banning smartphones isn’t so smart when you can’t do it
In case you think this column is singling out Sinn Féin for a bashing this week, they’re not the only ones guilty of winning some cheap points by saying some popular things. Only hours after Micheál Martin (correctly) pointed out the contradiction of expanding diplomacy while kicking out diplomats, he addressed a room of 800 enthusiastic members for a televised leader’s speech.
One of the greatest challenges of today, the Tánaiste said, is helping children navigate the pitfalls of permanent connectivity – so the Government would “expand guidelines and controls on smartphone access in schools”, and provide every family with guidance on how to navigate that challenge. Norma Foley went a step further and announced a forthcoming policy discouraging parents from buying smartphones for children of primary age.
On its face: a reasonable proposition. Longtime readers will remember how I’ve written on the failure of parents to recognise how a child with a smartphone now has easy access to a far greater stash of pornography than most parents can probably comprehend. Guidance on navigating that world is a must for any parent.
There’s just two problems with what the Tánaiste said. Firstly, the State already provides this support to every parent anyway: it’s got Webwise.ie, supported directly by the Department of Education and the teachers’ professional support body. I know this for a fact because I’ve previously moonlighted as an emcee for their work on Safer Internet Day.
The second thing is: this is apparently being engineered by the Department of Education, which readily admits that (a) virtually no primary schools explicitly permit smartphones anyway, and (b) the State cannot stipulate a policy for schools, nor for adults. In that case, shouldn’t such a policy emanate from the more relevant Department of Children?
Norma Foley says smartphone use is a top-three issue in those regularly raised with her by primary schools. You wouldn’t want to be too cynical.