By Clare Daly, Child Protection and Law
TODAY is Safer Internet Day! For everyone at Museum of Childhood Ireland it holds a special place in our hearts. It’s a day to reflect on the incredible opportunities the internet offers to children in the modern age while noting the risks inherent in the online world which are particularly prevalent for children. This is keenly juxtaposed against some of our stories/exhibitions, which often show the simplicity of past times and toys of previous generations when compared to the technology available to children today.
The Irish theme for safer internet day 2025 is Prepare / Protect / Thrive: Navigating algorithms and influencers:
In a world of endless online information, Safer Internet Day will explore ways to empower children to thrive, equipped with skills to navigate both the opportunities and challenges of these powerful digital influences.
(see here https://www.webwise.ie/news/safer-internet-day-2025-2/)
Influencers, Algorithms and Impacts
Algorithms and influencers- both bombard a child’s feed: both can be potent forces that shape their a child’s opinions, self-image, and even their worldview. The impacts of the child’s ‘for you ‘ page of their recommended content, can hugely impact their online experience. Researchers like Dr Ging have found that often, young males are bombarded with toxic content from ‘male supremacist influencers’ (see https://antibullyingcentre.ie/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/DCU-Recommending-Toxicity-Summary-Report.pdf. ) Image and beauty are also the preserve of the influencers, and the algorithmic recommender system: Dove have created a compelling campaign highlighting self image in the era of the selfie: (https://youtu.be/OHP9YTMHIoU)
While the internet offers incredible opportunities for learning, creativity, and connection, it also brings challenges— harmful trends, and the pressure to conform to unrealistic online standards.
Much of the challenge in legislating for online safety shows the necessity to strike a balance between protection and empowerment, to ensure that children are not only safeguarded online but also equipped with the tools to thrive. This is underscored by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/crc.pdf) and General Comment No. 25 on children’s rights in the digital environment ( https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/general-comments-and-recommendations/general-comment-no-25-2021-childrens-rights-relation) . While protection is about ensuring that digital platforms are safe, General Comment 25 emphasises that children have the right to access the digital world, but they must be protected from exploitation, manipulation, and harmful content.
Influencers, Algorithms and Transparency
Children should have the skills to understand how online content is curated, why they see certain posts, how influencers make money and what lies beneath the veneer of perfection portrayed on a child’s feed. Algorithms are designed to capture attention, often prioritising engagement over accuracy. AI curates and personalises content on many popular platforms. These algorithms shape children’s online experiences, often leading to addictive usage patterns, exposure to inappropriate content, and mental health risks. On 1 August 2024, the EU AI Act came into force, and with it, a recognition of children’s rights (Recital 28a) and a framework for child safety and risk assessment (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689, available at https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:L_202401689). Hopefully the AI Act is heralding a new era, where and transparency obligations on creator to tag and identify AI generated content (Recital 133) and “clearly and distinguishably disclose that the content has been artificially created or manipulated by labelling the AI output accordingly.
From 2 February 2025, provisions around manipulative AI and other banned unacceptable risks became applicable , including a prohibition on exploiting vulnerabilities of a person or group of people based on their age. At the same time AI literacy obligations on developer and deployers have also come into force. Yet obligations to educate children on how algorithms work and why their feeds show them specific content appears to be lacking. This is despite the fact that children make up 1/3 of all internet users. While children under 13 are not permitted onto platforms, recent figures have shown that 94% of children aged between 8-12 years old have their own device and 82% of 8-12 year old have their own social media and instant messaging accounts (to Cybersafe Kids Annual Trends and Usage Report 2024: https://www.cybersafekids.ie/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/CSK-TU-Report-23-24-Final.pdf ).
So, let’s Celebrate Safer Internet Day with some cautious optimism: that the array of legislation will remember the child navigating the internet- the complexities of the algorithmic recommender system, and the lure of the influencer.
That children are empowered to question and analyse the information they encounter, especially when confronted with easy perfection that influencers often portray, and when content seeps into their algorithmic ‘for you’ page, that children are encouraged to deploy their own critical thinking skills. Open conversations about online influence, including recognising when influencers promote products or ideas for financial gain would benefit and empower child users online. Because when children are prepared, they can navigate online spaces with confidence, making informed choices about the content they consume and share.
Children and young people have the right to fully participate in the digital world—not just as consumers, but as creators, activists, and change makers!
The online world should be a space where all children should be empowered to express themselves freely and safely while being supported to develop their digital identities.
Happy Safer Internet Day!