Fianna Fáil Senator Pat Casey is calling for the introduction of legislation to require photo-shopped or edited photos on social media to carry a symbol. Senator Casey made his calls following a meeting he arranged with Transition Year students from Coláiste Bhríde, Carnew, and Minister for Mental Health, Mary Butler, in Leinster House.
Transition Year students from Coláiste Bhríde, launched the ‘Be Aware, Don’t Compare’ campaign to highlight the dangers of comparison culture and seeks to educate children on the negative effects of images online and on social media. As part of their campaign there is the petition which calls for the introduction of legislation that would require photo-shopped or edited photos on social media to carry a symbol to note that the images are edited.
Senator Casey said, "We can label products that damage our physical health, such as tobacco, alcohol, foods, etc., so why not label photoshopped or edited photos which damage our mental health. I will continue to support the Coláiste Bhríde student’s campaign and the introduction of this legislation.“