‘I would not allow young children to go online... the Internet is not fit for purpose’

“The internet allows your child to reach out to the world, but it also allows the world have access to your child. At the moment the internet is not fit for purpose,” says cyberpsychologist Mary Aiken.

“I would not allow young children to go online until we find a way of actually making it, I’m not even going to say safe, I’m just going to say appropriate for them,” she told Róisín Ingle, presenter of the Róisín Meets podcast.

Originally from Cork, Mary Aiken is an expert in the field of forensic cyberpsychology. She is a consultant on cybercrime for the likes of Europol and Interpol, and her work with the White House on human-trafficking led to the launch of the U.S. television show, CSI: Cyber, starring Patricia Arquette as Aiken.

Her book, The Cyber Effect, examines our relationship with technology and the internet, pointing to the dangers of over-exposure for babies, young children and teenagers.

The problem is a lack of information, according to Aiken, who says many parents are led to believe that technology is good for the children because marketing people say so.

“We all know the good things about technology and the internet. Why? Because we have an army of ‘marketeers’ telling us it’s all good and are dying to sell us the next shiny little device. I want to introduce balance by saying, well it’s not all good,” she said.

Behavioural psychologists have been, “blindsided by technology,” and science needs to catch up, she said. Studies need to be conducted and quickly, because in the absence of scientific research parents cannot be advised on how to help their children access technology in a safe way.

“We need to be able to interact with technology to live in an age of technology – to work, to access information, to connect – and the real issue is how do we create guidelines for engaging with technology.”

Aiken has been referred to as an ‘alarm clock academic’, but if it was meant as an insult she certainly does not see it that way.

“I just don’t want to have a lost generation. I think in time we will pay more attention. Why? Because the problems will be so horrendous we have no choice but to pay attention. That’s why I’m going to be an alarm clock academic until people start listening.”

To hear Cyberpsychologist Mary Aiken talk to Róisín Ingle about the effects of technology on babies, the dangers of teenagers being dragged into the deep web, what it was like writing lines for Patricia Arquette, and more, go to iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher or irishtimes.com

The Cyber Effect by Mary Aiken is out now