S.M.A.R.T Kids Ireland

Background & Rationale:

Social media refers to digital platforms that enable users to create, share, and interact with content and with one another in virtual communities. These platforms are characterised by user-generated content, real-time communication, and algorithmic content curation, allowing for dynamic social interaction across geographic boundaries (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2010; Boyd & Ellison, 2007). Common examples include Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube, which are especially popular among adolescents and young adults. In today’s digital age, social media is an integral part of children’s lives, offering opportunities for social connection, self-expression, and informal learning (Best et al., 2014; Odgers & Jensen, 2020). However, growing evidence links excessive or unmoderated use to adverse mental health outcomes, including anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, disrupted sleep, and increased loneliness (Twenge et al., 2023; Orben et al., 2020; Viner et al., 2019). Young adolescents aged 10–16 are developmentally primed for social comparison and validation- seeking, making them especially vulnerable to negative digital experiences (Livingstone et al., 2022).

Currently, the main link between social media use and mental health difficulties is correlational. The relationship may be bidirectional—where poor mental health increases reliance on social media, or social media use exacerbates symptoms—or both may be influenced by an underlying third factor, such as family stress, personality traits, or offline social difficulties.

Importantly, the concept of “social media use” itself is multifaceted. It is not simply about time spent online, but what that time displaces—often other
developmentally beneficial activities such as sleep, face-to-face interactions, physical activity, or academic engagement. Furthermore, the type and nature
of content accessed and the way it is interpreted matters profoundly. Two individuals may consume identical content yet experience vastly different emotional or psychological outcomes, depending on their cognitive development, prior experiences, motivations for seeking the material, context of use and current mental state. For example, while one adolescent may find a peer’s curated feed aspirational, another may experience it as a painful reminder of social exclusion or personal inadequacy. These individual differences highlight the importance of recognising context and subjectivity in digital interactions.

As such, research in this area must be nuanced and methodologically rigorous, drawing on longitudinal designs where possible, and attending to causative as
well as correlative patterns. Multi-perspective approaches that incorporate the voices of young people, parents, educators, and clinicians are essential to capturing the complexity of digital life and its impact on wellbeing. While social media is a central part of the digital world, it is defined by its emphasis on social interaction, user-generated content, and algorithm-driven engagement. In contrast, the broader digital environment includes diverse technologies such as educational platforms, gaming, and streaming services, which may not be socially interactive but still influence children’s online experiences and wellbeing. For parents navigating this landscape, recognizing the distinct roles of social media and other digital tools is essential to effectively support their children’s mental health and encourage balanced, safe online use. Parenting itself is becoming increasingly digitalised, with caregivers relying more on online resources, guidance, and monitoring tools.
As such, data-driven, evidence-based approaches are urgently required to inform parenting practices, public health messaging, and regulatory responses.

This study adopts a balanced perspective—recognising that while social media can provide psychosocial benefits, inappropriate or excessive use can lead to
harm. This proposal aims to explore these dynamics through the lens of Irish parents, contributing to better-informed digital parenting in a rapidly evolving
technological landscape.

Aims & Objectives:

Primary Aim
To explore the perceived impact of social media on children’s mental health (ages 10–16) from the parental perspective, and to build on existing supports by co-producing an evidence-based digital parenting toolkit—grounded in Irish parents’ lived experiences—that addresses both protective and risk factors related to children’s social media use and mental health.

Objectives:

• Synthesize existing literature to identify key risk indicators and knowledge
  gaps.
• Conduct a targeted literature review to identify and evaluate existing toolkits or digital parenting supports aimed at promoting online safety and wellbeing for children aged 10–16. Explore Irish parents’ experiences, concerns, and needs regarding social media and child mental health.
• Co-design a prototype parental toolkit with families and stakeholders.
• Pilot and refine the toolkit for future national implementation and advocacy.
• This will ensure that the final resource is contextually relevant, responsive to real-world needs, and positioned to complement and extend current national efforts in digital parenting support.

Methodology Overview:

A 4-phase, mixed-methods study using literature review, quantitative parent survey, qualitative interviews/focus groups, and co-design + pilot of a parental toolkit. Includes Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) throughout.

Phase 1: Scoping Review

Conduct a scoping review to identify existing digital parenting toolkits or resources—developed in Ireland or internationally—that aim to support parents in promoting online safety and mental health in children aged 10–16, and to map known social media risks to child mental health, focusing on early warning signs, behaviours, and parental responses.

Phase 2: National Survey of Parents in Ireland

To understand parental concerns, perceptions, and experiences regarding social media and children’s mental health, data will be collected through partnerships with national voluntary organisations such as Cycle Against Suicide and family-focused NGOs. These organisations will facilitate distribution of digital questionnaires through their membership mailing lists, websites, webinars, and social media channels. This approach supports population representativeness by engaging parents from diverse backgrounds and regions across Ireland, while leveraging trusted community platforms to enhance participation and data quality.

Phase 3: Qualitative Interviews and Co-Design

Deepen understanding of the perceived impact of social media on children’s mental health through qualitative interviews with Irish parents of children aged 10–16. This phase will also include interviews with school staff in settings that have implemented mobile phone bans, to explore the feasibility, rationale, and perceived outcomes of such policies. These insights will help assess the balance between restriction-based approaches and educational strategies in promoting digital wellbeing. Findings from both strands will inform the co-design of a practical, evidence-informed digital parenting toolkit grounded in lived experience and real-world application.

Phase 4: Pilot and Evaluation of the Toolkit

Test feasibility, acceptability, and perceived impact of the parental toolkit.

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Ethical Considerations
This project will include full ethical approval from UCD REC. Parental consent and anonymous data handling will be ensured, with clear safeguarding and signposting protocols in place.

Anticipated Outcomes
A validated, evidence-based parental toolkit; recommendations for public health messaging and school-based education; briefing documents for Irish policymakers and digital platforms; academic outputs.

Potential Impact
• Parents: Greater confidence and clarity in managing digital life with enhanced awareness and practical tools to navigate their child’s digital world, fostering more open communication, informed decision-making, and proactive support for healthy online habits.
• Children and Adolescents: Improved mental wellbeing through early parental intervention supported by stronger parental engagement and shared understanding of both the opportunities and challenges of social media.
• Policy and Practice: Data to support digital regulation, curriculum updates, and health service guidance with context-specific evidence that promotes a balanced approach integrating both regulation and parental empowerment.

Timeline (36 months)
• Months 1–6: Scoping review + ethics approval
• Months 6–12: National parent survey
• Months 12–20: Qualitative interviews + thematic analysis
• Months 20–30: Toolkit co-design and pilot
• Months 30–36: Analysis, dissemination, write-up

Rationale for Age Range
This study focuses on children and young adolescents aged 10–16, a group undergoing significant developmental transitions in terms of identity, emotional regulation, and peer relationships. This age group is particularly susceptible to the influence of online social dynamics, making it an especially relevant period to investigate social media’s psychological impact (Orben et al, 2022). Notably, many platforms permit use from age 13, yet children often access them earlier without safeguards. Importantly, this age span includes both prepubertal and early pubertal stages, which are associated with differing vulnerabilities to social media exposure—particularly in relation to body image, peer feedback sensitivity, and emotional resilience. For example, emerging evidence suggests that post pubertal girls may be especially susceptible to negative effects related to appearance-based content and social comparison (Orben et al., 2022). Within this age band 10-16, the impact occurs earlier in females (11–13) than males (14–15). Younger children may be more vulnerable to online risks due to lower cognitive maturity and limited digital literacy. Limiting the scope to this age range enhances research clarity, facilitates developmentally appropriate interventions, and aligns with global and national concerns regarding adolescent mental health.
Moreover, attending to age- and gender-specific differences will enable the development of nuanced, tailored guidance that reflects the varied experiences of children across this transitional period. While broader studies provide generalised insights, this focused approach supports actionable, age-and potentially gender specific recommendations.

Discussion
This study seeks to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of social media’s role in child and adolescents’ mental health by centring the experiences and perspectives of parents. The findings will not only illuminate risk factors and protective behaviours but also offer insights into how parents can be supported through tools, education, and policy reform. Using trusted channels such as voluntary organisations and schools increases both reach and credibility, ensuring that the resulting toolkit is both practical and community-informed. The emphasis on co-design ensures that the output reflects the real-world needs of families, rather than top-down assumptions. Where existing toolkits are identified, we will draw on their content and structure to inform and refine the development of an Irish-specific version, ensuring added value and avoiding unnecessary duplication. Ultimately, the S.M.A.R.T. Kids Ireland initiative aims to advance evidence-informed parenting in the digital age while advocating for policy and platform-level accountability. In a world where social media is ubiquitous, empowering families with practical, research-backed guidance is a vital step in promoting youth mental wellbeing at scale.