BOI Social Media Talk
Last Tuesday 16th January, 5th and 6th year students of Castlerea Community School attended a talk pertaining to young people staying safe online. The talk was delivered by a representative of Bank of Ireland, Aidan Lennon, who has been visiting various schools in the area for the last number of years, informing them of the importance of being safe on the internet and social media websites.
The talk was very informative as students learned a lot of new information about social media policies and ways to stay safe online. Aidan also reminded the students of the dangers of using social media or the internet in the wrong manner. He reminded them that once they post, send or search for something on the internet, their footprint stays there forever. Also when Snapchat is used, their snaps can be screenshotted and sent to other people. It was again reiterated the importance of being extremely cautious when online. Aidan went on to discuss the problems people may face when seeking employment later on in life. Nowadays, employers may search for potential employees on social media sites before employing them, in order to view their digital footprint. He explained to the students that some employers may decide not to employ someone based on what they post, like and share on social media platforms, e.g. Facebook and Twitter. Aidan recalled the story of someone who had just gotten a job and decided to post negative comments about the business on Twitter. The employer saw and replied to it, stating that the person was no longer employed in their business. This really gave the students an insight into the real consequences of their actions online.
Equally and oppositely, students were also informed of the benefits of social media, for example; advertising a business, a service or produce and staying in touch with friends and relatives. Aidan highlighted the fact that the internet sometimes gets an unfair reputation for the negativity surrounding its use, but it can also have many advantages when used in the appropriate manner. He also told the students a strange and frightening fact that in the world today, there are more mobile phones and Tablets than toothbrushes! Alan reminded students that he never had a mobile phone at his age, if he wanted to talk to his friends or anyone, he had to write notes or letters. It’s amazing to think that he didn’t have access to the internet or social media as it was not that long ago when he was in secondary school! Imagine, the World Wide Web was only launched in 1989, less than thirty years ago!
At the end, the students participated in a short quiz based on social media and the internet and finished the talk with a group selfie. Students benefited and enjoyed this most informative and interesting talk. Thank you to Aidan and the Bank of Ireland for facilitating this talk.
Related Posts
Happy Easter – Beannachtaí na Cásca →
Spring Newsletter 2024 →
Outstanding Performance In The Leaving Cert 2023 Examination 2023. →
