Fianna Fáil Minister for Education Ms Norma FoleyTD, has announced that she is bringing a policy to Cabinet that will support parents not to buy ‘Smartphones’ for primary school children. Many in society will welcome this move, given mounting evidence that so called “Smartphones” are NOT a smart choice for our children.
The term ‘Smartphone’ refers to the now ubiquitous touchscreen phone that is so ‘smart’ it can perform any number of diverse functions; including stream movies, access the internet, email, access social media, take high quality video and photos, pay your bills and show you how to get from ‘A‘ to ‘B’ with built-in satellite navigation tools. Indeed, the potential of smartphones is unlimited given their ability to download applications (apps) for just about anything.
Despite their benefits and utility, increasingly, scientists, educationalists and parents are highlighting that they have the capacity to cause real harm, when put into the hands of children and teenagers (and some adults too). Smartphones enable unlimited access to social media platforms with multiple studies highlighting links between social media and increased levels of anxiety, depression and bullying. Dove recently launched its “Cost of Beauty” campaign, and a short film, that is a stark warning to all parents about the devastating impact various platforms can have on young minds when these platforms enable them (and some would argue encourage them) to scroll through thousands of images of impossible beauty standards.
We are repeatedly warned of the dangers of excessive screen time and with apps purposely designed to keep users online and engaged, it’s impossible for adults, let alone young minds, to get offline. As well as spending too much time online, smartphones enable anyone to access anything online. You may think “that’s fine my kids only watch YouTube and Tiktoks”, but even these familiar apps can lead children to dark and strange content.
Please do take the time to watch, to the very end; this ‘Ted Talk’ video, shown immediately hereunder:
As well as the dangers of social media, screen time and exposure to inappropriate content, smartphones and apps are potentially invading our privacy. Our actions are constantly monitored and our data used and misused. It’s worth watching the documentary “The Social Dilemma” to get an insight into this area of danger.
Less dangerous, but troubling all the same, are the warnings about smartphones and the damage they are doing to our intelligence and creativity. We never get bored, never need to remember anything and never experience quiet solitude when in the presence of our smartphones.
Boredom and offline time is essential to learning, imagination and creativity. Indeed, back in 2018 “The Times” published an article entitled “Why the Silicon Valley titans who got our kids addicted to screens are sending their own children to tech-free schools”. Why? The Silicon Valley titans know the value of tech free time, hands-on learning, boredom, imagination and creativity and they want this, not their high tech, for their kids. It is even said that Steve Jobs, creator of the iPhone and iPad, did not allow his own children to use the very devices he created.
Many parents get their child a smartphone for understandable reasons. They want to be able, for example, to contact their child about ever changing after school activities, sports matches or visits with friends. This is important but you don’t need a smartphone to achieve this.
All you need for children is what’s known as a “dumb phone”, [View here for “dumb phone” ]. Dumb phones are so-called because their functions are limited. All you can do is make a call, receive a call and send and receive texts (some readers may remember these prehistoric devices). With all the negatives associated with smartphones these days, maybe “dumb phones” aren’t that dumb after all.
And whilst politicians don’t always get things right (“Do they ever”, I hear some of you say), Minister Norma Foley may be making a ‘smart’ move/decision here, and if her advice is followed, one that will really benefit our children into the future.
The World Einstein Award for Science, is an annual award given by the European Cultural Council, as a means of recognition and encouragement to those involved in scientific and technological research, with special recognition for researches, who bring both benefit and wellbeing to mankind.
Today, it has been announced that the well-known, Thurles, Co. Tipperary born scientist, Dr. Robbie Ryan, has been short listed for this prestigious award.
The rare hairy 10 legged Tipperary air-breathing arthropod.
We understand that Dr. Ryan has over the past 5 years, finally completed a series of experiments examining Tipperary Spiders. Today he published his findings, hypotheses and theories; based on his experiments, together with relevant lines of reasoning and evidence; all in an effort to further progress the field of Irish and Tipperary science.
In an interview with Dr. Ryan, just yesterday, Thurles.Info learned that one section of his experiments, using these air-breathing arthropods, involved putting a Spider on a laboratory bench in his Biology Laboratory, (Latter which deals with the form of living organisms, and with relationships between their structures), before requesting it, in a loud voice to jump. Having continued to scream at the arthropod for a few minutes, the spider appeared to understand and obliged, by jumping high. Then Dr. Ryan amputated one of its hind legs and told it to jump again, and it did so almost immediately, but alas not as high as when first requested to do so. Dr. Ryan did this again and again, each time amputating yet another leg, until all 8 legs were finally removed. Now, having removed all 8 legs, he asked the spider to jump yet again, but it just lay there, refusing to obey his every command.
Scientist Dr. Ryan, now has come to, what he believes is, an obvious conclusion, declaring that Spiders without their legs, automatically go deaf.
Dr. Ryan’s experiments are expected to continue up until March 2025, when he will offer himself to the Tipperary electorate as a Sinn Féin candidate, in the hope of gaining membership of the 34th Dáil; latter the lower house of Ireland’s parliament, namely the Oireachtas. Dr. Ryan, if successful, is expected to be offered, by Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald, the Defence, Science and Technology portfolio.
The digitisation of the citizenship application process is a key milestone in the Department of Justice’s Immigration Service Delivery Modernisation Programme.
The Immigration Modernisation Programme will, over the coming years, digitise a number of currently paper-based immigration processes and introduce a portal system where individuals will be able to manage and view all aspects of their interaction with immigration services. This will improve efficiencies in the immigration system, improve the customer experience through the availability of comprehensive self service functions, improve data management and utilisation, and enhance border security capability and capacity.
The online Citizenship application service will allow potential new Irish citizens to complete their application form, upload necessary supporting documentation and pay fees online, making the application process easier and more efficient in a digital age.
It will also allow the Immigration Service to more efficiently and effectively manage applications for Citizenship, which have increased in recent years.
Note: The paper-based application will still remain available to those who cannot access an online service.
Residents of Thurles will be aware that over the past few months it became necessary for the ESB to interrupt the electricity supply in most areas of the town. The reason for these electricity interruptions was Siro, the Irish fibre broadband network operator, which is expanding its network to Thurles, Nenagh and Tipperary Town in Co. Tipperary.
SIRO is a 100% ‘fibre-to-the-building’network, built on ESB infrastructure. With no copper connection at any point along the network, thus making it faster and more reliable.
Fibre Broadband arrives in Thurles. Pic: G. Willoughby.
SIRO was launched in 2015 as a joint venture between the ESB and Vodafone, with the aim of delivering the first 100% fibre-to-the-building broadband across regional Ireland thus revolutionising the broadband market in Ireland.
Fibre to the Home (FTTH) is an access network method that delivers the highest possible speed of Internet connection by using optical fibre that runs directly into the home, building or office. FTTH is unique, because it removes all the bottlenecks that slow the performance of other types of network. The SIRO Network is built using the ESB’s overhead and underground infrastructure, ensuring a fast, reliable and sustainable network.
SIRO claim that there is up to 60% lower energy usage and 80% lower maintenance required for fibre-to-the-building, versus copper networks.
The Co. Tipperary roll-out will bring fibre broadband to more than 7,000 premises in Thurles and Nenagh. The roll-out in Thurles will be completed in the last quarter of 2023, while the work in Nenagh will be completed soon afterwards.
The roll-out to 2,250 premises in Tipperary town will be completed early-2024. Once these additional towns are connected, Siro’s full-fibre broadband network will be available to more than 50,000 premises across County Tipperary.
The network operator has invested more than EUR 20 million to roll out its fibre network across the county to date.
It was only a matter of time before criminals would begin to target eFlow charges, in an effort to extract funding from the more gullible and those who insist in remaining IT illiterate.
With Tolls having being increased in January 2022 by 10% on 7 of the 8 PPP toll roads around the country – from €2.90 to €3.00 (M4) and from €1.90 to €2.00 (M1, N6, M7/M8, N8, N25WF, LT), it was inevitable that criminals would attempt to expand their existing criminal activities .
In numerous text messages sent out today, same show the senders Tel. No. 35385 1051698, demanding supposed outstanding overdue eFlow payments.
Text Messages Being Received read:-
eFlow: you have an outstanding amount due from a journey made in 2022. Please pay now to avoid incurring any penalty charges. [The link shown to make payments is https://toll-online- service.com/]
Note: No details of arrears are shown and attackers on toll-online-service.com may trick you into doing something silly and indeed dangerous; e.g.like installing software or revealing your personal information such as your passwords, personal phone number, or credit card details.
All such messages should be immediately deleted on sight, and any attached links should not be activated.
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