Third of primary school children have no time restrictions online, charity says
CyberSafeKids said 18% of eight to 12-year-olds and 20% of 12 to 15-year-olds find it hard to switch off from products designed to keep them online.
More than a third of primary school children and two thirds of secondary school children have no time restrictions on their online activity, new figures show.
Ireland’s online safety charity, CyberSafeKids, also said that 18% of eight to 12-year-olds and 20% of 12 to 15-year-olds find it hard to switch off from products designed to keep them online.
The findings have been published to launch CyberBreak 2026, which urges families, schools and workplaces to switch off all smart devices from 7pm, on Friday and take a 24-hour break from the online world.
The annual event, for which more than 25,000 people have already signed up, provides a valuable opportunity to “reset digital routines and create healthier online habits”.
The survey of more than 1,200 young people was carried out after the return to school.
CyberSafeKids said the figures were concerning as children were using platforms that are “fundamentally unsafe” by design and facilitate “multiple risks of content and contact harm”.
The most popular times of day to be online are: before going into school, with 17% of eight to 12-year-olds and 41% of 12 to 15-year-olds; straight after school, with 32% of eight to 12-year-olds and 45% of 12 to 15-year-olds; and in the evening, with 69% of eight to 12-year-olds and 82% of 12 to 15-year-olds.
The report said that some young people spend their days “bookended” by being online, falling asleep with devices and going online immediately after waking.
More than half of eight to 12-year-olds and 69% of 12 to 15-year-olds keep devices in bedrooms overnight.
“It is not only children who struggle to switch off these devices and apps. More than half of young people reflect that their parents are on their devices either ‘a lot of the time’ or ‘all the time’ when they are with them,” the report added.
“As a society, we all need to break these unhealthy habits and make sure that the adults in the house are modelling good behaviours – bad digital habits are a whole family concern.”
CyberSafeKids is urging families to support their children in developing healthier digital habits and breaking that cycle of near-constant connectivity by signing up for CyberBreak 2026.
Alex Cooney, chief executive of CyberSafeKids, said: “The research highlights the near-constant connectivity of even very young children.
“Screens in bedrooms, especially overnight, affect not only sleep but overall wellbeing. Children need clear boundaries around device use at home, and the fact that many have no restrictions at all is alarming given the harmful content and contact inherent in digital environments.
“That’s why initiatives like CyberBreak matter. Disconnecting for just 24 hours helps us reflect on how and when we use our devices, and start building healthier habits together by modelling, as parents, teachers and caregivers, the behaviours we want to see in children.
“We’re encouraging everyone to join us this weekend in resetting and reconnecting offline.”
Dr Richard Hogan, author and family psychotherapist, added: “It’s more important than ever for children to have moments throughout their busy day that are free from technology.
“As parents, we must lead by example – this means engaging with our kids before our phones in the morning and during the day, sending the vital message to them that they come first, not our smart devices.
“It’s our responsibility to help them switch off, unplug, and reconnect with what matters most.”
Brian Higgins, HSE assistant national director, adult mental health, said: “While the benefits of technology are increasingly seen through digital health supports and innovations, the distraction and harm caused to our mental health by constant social media use is undoubted.
“Taking a CyberBreak gives us an opportunity to take a step back and address how we can find a healthy balance between our online and offline lives.
“We would encourage people of all ages to find trusted mental health information and supports on yourmentalhealth.ie or by using the new Navigator online signposting tool.”