Why Internet Safety Talks are as effective as Weight Loss Programmes

Imagine signing up for a weight loss programme, filled with hope and determination, only to find yourself back where you started a few months later. This frustrating cycle is probably not unfamiliar to many who have signed up to the many different companies that offer ways to lose weight. What has this got to do with Internet Safety Talks for parents, you might ask? Well, much like the weight loss programmes, if these programmes are genuinely effective, why do we have a growing obesity epidemic and why are children still been given Smartphones and free access to social media?

Much like the recurring subscription to that promising weight loss regime that didn’t stick, parents often find themselves attending one Internet Safety Talk after another every year in their children’s school. But why?

For me, there are a number of reasons because nothing is simple. Much like saying “eat less, exercise more” seems like a simple solution, “don’t buy your kid a Smartphone” seems equally simple. Perhaps there’s more to it.

For example, things constantly evolve. In the health industry, there are always new diets and exercise regimes, similarly, in the online world things are ever-changing. Today’s safety measures might be outdated tomorrow, much like that popular diet you heard about last year. Much like intermittent fasting is the new Atkins, who knows what tomorrow’s TikTok will be?

However, it isn’t just the changing landscape because TikTok isn’t forced on children nor is Snapchat or Discord or whatever new app comes along. No one forces a parent to buy their child a Smartphone. Every parent buys their child a Smartphone reluctantly. The reasons are generally two-fold — they don’t want their child to be a social pariah, and they want their child to be able to contact them and vice versa at any point.

If Internet Safety Talks for parents worked, parents wouldn’t buy their kids Smartphones. It’s not that the talks are useless or ineffective. It’s simply that they can only warn parents about the dangers if their child ends up with access to online content. In the same way, a weight loss co-ordinator can only let you know what happens if you buy a doner kebab and chips. However, again, there must be more at play here.

Is there an argument that these talks and programmes overwhelm and cause a sort of paralysis? With so much information and so many strategies presented, parents often feel overwhelmed. Knowing where to start and what to prioritize can be a challenge. Perhaps, just as every individual’s body responds differently to diets and exercises, every child’s online experience and vulnerabilities are unique. A standard talk may not address specific concerns.

More likely, simply attending a one-off talk is not going to guarantee implementation. Without consistent application and follow-through, the knowledge can remain theoretical. If we really want to take weight loss seriously or we are really serious about our children’s smartphone and online use, it needs public awareness and policy.

Instead of doing anything, the Minister for Education is making noises about banning Smartphones. Cyber Safe Kids issue an annual report which outlines all of the same warnings that the Internet Safety Talks produce year after year. The media then fill up their news columns with hysteria. All of them point to schools as the place where the solution lies.

Every school has a healthy eating policy but most schools still have to deal with children bringing in energy drinks and giant chocolate bars. Every school has an Internet Acceptable Usage Policy but still has to deal with the fall out of cyberbullying and anxiety and mental health issues caused by Smartphones and online interactions. In both cases, schools have no role in supplying the food or the technology.

Here’s the uncomfortable reality: could the solution to both diet and online safety for children boil down to personal responsibility? Could it be as simple as watching what we eat and monitoring what our children access online or simply not buying our kids smartphones?

However, I get that life is seldom that black and white and that’s way too simplistic even if it is that simple. The real question isn’t about the effectiveness of Internet Safety Talks or weight loss programs because if everyone followed them, there wouldn’t be a problem. Yes, there’s an argument for how much responsibility we’re willing to assume but there’s more to it than that. The easy solution to this is to throw everything at the education system.

Think about the world 50 years ago where nobody would think twice about drinking a botle of wine and driving home. We need to make buying a smartphone for a child as vulgar as that. While education and personal responsibility certainly have a role in both issues, it isn’t enough in itself. Everyone needs to come together. That means good public policy and societal buy-in.