School-aged children and adolescents under 18 in Ireland spend more time online than ever before. ‘Digital technology’ is a broad term that refers to electronic devices like computers, smartphones, smart TVs and game consoles. These devices can connect to the internet and access various types of online content, including games, social media, streaming services and educational resources. While digital technologies offer numerous benefits, such as access to information, educational tools and social connection, they can also pose risks to the mental wellbeing of children and adolescents. Many governments, including Ireland’s, have introduced policies to protect children online. Knowing when and how digital technologies cause harm can guide the development of effective policies. This review summarises international research on the effect of digital technologies on school-aged children and adolescents. Findings are presented as follows: 1) the impact of digital technology on wellbeing; 2) the challenges of parenting in a digital era; and 3) public health and policy interventions to protect children and adolescents online.

P.37 There is evidence from multiple studies of intergenerational transmission of screen time from parents to children. Across device types (television, computer, smartphone and tablet), parents’ screen time is a strong predictor of young children’s screen time (Lauricella et al., 2015). When parents spend a greater amount of time on social media, children are significantly more likely to persistently request screen media (Domoff et al., 2021). Parents’ excessive phone usage predicts a lack of control over their child’s phone usage in the future, which in turn increases conflict about smartphones (Matthes et al., 2021). While both maternal and paternal screen time predict children’s screen time, maternal screen time predicts children’s usage more strongly than paternal screen time (Dempsey et al., 2024). Adolescents are significantly more likely to be addicted to the internet when their parents have internet addiction (Chemnad et al., 2023).

P.47 4.3 Parenting interventions - Until legislation to regulate technology companies proves effective, parents still hold power to shape a safer online world for their children. Parents are often the first, last and best line of defence for their children. By taking proactive measures, parents can minimise the dangers that online risks pose for their children. Although there is limited evidence for parenting interventions specifically aimed at online safety, those targeting other health-related behaviours have proven to be effective. Returning to the tobacco analogy, parental nicotine dependence is a strong predictor of adolescents’ lifetime smoking (Kandel et al., 2015). This strong link between parental and adolescent smoking is largely explained by a rolemodelling effect involving socialisation by parents and imitation by adolescents. When parents quit smoking, their children’s risk of smoking significantly decreases (Bricker et al., 2003). From a public health perspective, interventions that reduce parental smoking can have an intergenerational benefit. Smoking cessation interventions tailored to parents are modestly effective at reducing parental smoking (Scheffers-van Schayck et al., 2021). Provision of smoking cessation assistance in paediatric care is promising, as it would occur early in the child’s life and potentially reduces smoking onset (Rosen et al., 2012). Applying this approach to parental device usage, educating parents in paediatric settings about the intergenerational transmission of screen time might reduce both parents’ and children’s screen time.  

High levels of parent–child connectedness and good quality general and substancespecific communication are protective against adolescent tobacco, alcohol and substance use (Carver et al., 2017). The quality of communication is amenable to change through family-based interventions. The most effective family-based interventions for preventing tobacco, alcohol and drug misuse in children are those that include active parental involvement (Petrie et al., 2006). Rather than just focusing on the issue of substance abuse, effective interventions include strategies that promote parental engagement, strong family bonds and conflict management. For example, the Strengthening Families Program is an evidencebased intervention for preventing substance use among children and adolescents (Kumpfer et al., 2020). During interactive sessions with their children, the Strengthening Families Program guides parents on how to communicate empathetically, provide appropriate rewards, set boundaries and strengthen family cohesion. Translating this evidence to digital media usage, parenting programmes that encourage open, respectful and constructive communication might improve children’s safety online. While interventions for substance misuse are geared more towards prevention, the goal of digital media interventions is safe usage, rather than eliminating usage altogether...