A third of young children are interacting with strangers online.
A survey by Cyber Safe Ireland found 31% of kids aged between 8 and 12 game online with people they don't know in real life.
65% of this age-group are signed up to social media and messaging platforms.
The survey also found that Tik Tok has overtaken Snapchat as the most popular app and 93% of children own a smart device.
Under laws introduced in 2018, a child under 16 isn't allowed to sign up to a social media site or game without parental consent.
But Alex Cooney, the Chief Executive of Cyber Safe Ireland, says kids aren't sticking to that: 'We need to do a lot more to educate children to prepare them for their online lives, it's important that we give them guidance and direction'.
