SCHOOL leaders and parents in South Belfast are to come together for an event to discuss the growing concern over the rising use of smartphones among children.
The public event will take place on June 2 at St Bernard’s Primary School, where local parents and school leaders will discuss the risks smartphones pose to children's wellbeing, including exposure to online harms and the impact on mental health and development.
The meeting comes after a joint letter to parents from 14 primary schools in South Belfast expressing growing concern over the rising use of smartphones among children.
The principals from the South Belfast Primary Partnership said they had noticed that "children are owning their own smartphone at increasingly younger ages".
Speaking ahead of the event next week, South Belfast and Mid Down MP Claire Hanna said: “Smartphones are undeniably part of modern life, useful for learning, communication and staying connected. But there is mounting evidence of the adverse effects they can have on children, from addiction to long-term impacts on brain development.
“As a parent, I understand the difficult balance: acknowledging the risks while wanting to be able to contact your children and for them to be able to keep in touch with friends.
"The SDLP had recently raised the issue of smartphone use in schools and called for action to be taken by the Education Minister during an opposition motion in the Assembly earlier this month.
“We need serious, informed discussion about the role of smartphones in our children’s lives and actions that can be taken to protect the health and well-being of children. Teachers and school leaders cannot tackle this alone they need the backing of parents and the wider school community.”
