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According to a new Kaspersky study, most parents are worried about their children’s digital behaviour and want to manage and monitor it. Almost half of respondents (48%) use parental control apps, and 45% regularly check children’s Internet history. Moreover, 51% of parents report their children use digital devices under the supervision of either a parent (42%) or a family member (9%).
Modern children are much more technically advanced from an early age than previous generations. One of the main reasons for this is they have access to gadgets and hands-on experience from a much younger age, as confirmed by a recent Kaspersky survey. That said, children may not know all the rules of secure online behaviour – they are gradually taught by their parents. When giving a child a gadget, parents want to ensure that their children will be safe and secure online. Therefore, the majority of parents strive to monitor their children’s online activity to ensure their safety.
The majority of parents seek to control the videos that children watch (60%), the sites they visit (56%), and the games they play (52%). In addition, 49% of respondents want to limit the time children spend online and on their devices throughout the day.
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By monitoring children’s online activity, over half of them discuss healthy digital habits (55%), use parental control apps (48%), and a further 45% check their browsing history. Interestingly, in Nigeria, 65% of parents confess to checking their children’s browsing history, and only 10%of respondents from Nigeria trust their children and do not control them in any way.
According to the survey results, in Nigeria parents and the family bear the main responsibility for regulating the behaviour of children in the digital space (98%). That said, nearly half (47%) believe that teachers and schools should do this, while a quarter 24% feel that children should have personal responsibility.
In support of this position, 97% of parents discussed the rules of online behaviour and digital etiquette with their children – and only 3% did not raise this topic with their children.
“Due to the fact that modern children from early childhood use smartphones and other gadgets, they perceive the digital space as something natural and familiar – like taking a walk. At the same time, the digital space also has its own rules of secure behaviour, which many teach from childhood, such as not communicating with strangers or going to unfamiliar and unknown places. Parents can make their children’s digital world more secure by shielding them from inappropriate content and helping them learn how to be secure in a digital environment by using various tools and methods. For instance, adults can encourage certain digital habits within the family or use parental control apps, which can help filter out desirable and undesirable content categories, as well as check child’s online activity,” comments Marina Titova, Vice-President, Consumer Product Marketing at Kaspersky.
“As therapists, we are convinced that trust is fundamentally better than control. However, when it comes to media consumption, parents distrust the content on the internet, not their own children. That’s why regulatory control is a good idea, because it aligns with parents’ desire to protect their children. Nevertheless, there is a dilemma around how much control is necessary and how much is too much.
We all know that children are always looking for new spaces to enjoy experiences that are free from parental control – this independence is important and should be allowed, depending on the child’s age. At the same time, it is important for parents to negotiate rules with children, even if these conversations are sometimes challenging. Children respect rules and boundaries if they can understand them and any related consequences. That’s why we recommend that parents make use of child protection apps or make the activation of security settings transparent and explain them – this is how active media education succeeds,” comments comment therapists Birgitt Hölzel and Stefan Ruzas from the Munich practice Liebling + Schatz. “Most children have their first smartphone at the age of nine or 10. It is a gateway to a global world that is educational and entertaining, but also full of problematic content. Think of this exposure like road traffic – it’s incredibly exciting and thrilling to get out there, but it’s important that parents accompany their children step-by-step to stay in touch as much as possible. For driving, we have traffic rules and signs – we also need those on the internet.”
The full report is available via this link.
The following steps will help parents ensure their children are secure online:
- While using gadgets, children may lack knowledge about cyber hygiene and online security. Parents can help by discussing possible scenarios with their children and setting an example.
- It is a good idea to install a parental control app; however, it is important to discuss this with your child and explain the reasons behind your actions so they understand.
- If your child is an active user of social networks and shares a lot of content, you should discuss the problem of oversharing and data privacy. You can also subscribe to each other on social networks and try to set an example. Always check geotags on photos, make sure that confidential information does not appear in photos or descriptions, check comments. Leading by example will also show your children how to securely share information with subscribers online while maintaining their privacy.
