​The Parents’ Council have secured the services of the Forensic Psychologist Dr Maureen Griffin to provide her talk "Social Media: Challenges for Parents" in Coláiste Bríde at 7pm on Monday, the 29th of April.  Dr Griffin is a highly regarded expert in the field of internet safety and as such is often booked out months in advance.  She will also be conducting workshops with our students on that day. 
This talk will provide an overview of what is currently popular among Irish students, what the potential dangers are and offer practical advice on how to protect children when they are online or using their mobile devices. Issues such as social networking sites (e.g. Instagram); social messaging/chatting apps (e.g. Snapchat, Tellonym); video-streaming sites (e.g. YouTube, Tik Tok, BIGO, Hoola); mobile device safety; screen time & sleep; grooming; sexting and cyber-bullying will be addressed.  The focus of the talk is not about blocking content online; it is more about teaching teenagers how to be responsible when online, by making parents aware of the dangers and highlighting some practical tips.
 
We believe that the content of this presentation is very relevant and important to all our parents and guardians. We anticipate that there will be a large attendance at the evening talk as it will be open to all parents/guardians in the school. To reserve a place, please complete the online form on our website, www.colaistebride.ie or contact our office at 053 9234245 or office@colaistebride.ie.
 
The internet presents fantastic opportunities for students. However, we also know that there is a real opportunity for teenagers to be put at risk by their exposure to material and/or individuals which may be harmful. As such it is important that students are made aware of the dangers and how to protect themselves.
 
The talk for parents on Monday 29th of April, at 7pm will be free of charge, however, the Parents’ Council would welcome a small donation on the night if possible.