Over two-thirds of secondary school students say their parents don’t put any restrictions on their smartphone use.

That's one of the findings from a new report from Studyclix who say unlimited access to social media is exposing teenagers to horrific images online.

They also found that 39% of teenagers in Ireland are using their phones for more than four hours per day.

Studyclix is now calling on parents to have an open discussion with their children about the dangers of spending too much time online.

Mental health

Their founder Luke Saunders said the mental health of students is suffering because of what they’re being exposed to.

“We have 34% saying they have seen anti-immigrant content and six in ten students say they are worried about their body image as a result of social media use,” he told Newstalk.

“The trend we’re seeing this year is that students are using social media platforms more than ever but the content they’re seeing on them is really like the wild west.”

Teenager girl victim of online stalker suffering from cyberbullying abuse feeling lonely and hopeless sitting on stairs with dark light, 20-03-2019. Image: Samuel wordley / Alamy

Mr Saunders also said setting boundaries will be beneficial for everyone in the long term.

“You will get initial resistance but once there’s an agreed consistent rule and that ‘this is how we use phones in our house,’” he said.

“Particularly for those with younger students, it’s important to try and set up criteria and clear rules for how it's dealt with in the house.

“You need to have that as a shared conversation that you keep revisiting with the child.”

The Studyclix survey has found that two in five secondary school students are using ChatGPT for school-related tasks.

They also found that 66% of respondents reported seeing monthly advertisements for weight loss supplements on social media.

Main image: Two teenagers on their phones. Image: Axel Bueckert / Alamy Stock Photo