Do Parents Know What Their Children See Online?
Every child these days has a phone or access to the internet, but how much of that online activity are parents actually aware of? Let's explore the reality of parental awareness regarding their children's online experiences.
Parental Awareness and Monitoring
Parents generally show high levels of awareness about online safety tools, with 91% being aware of safety-promoting technical tools and controls. However, awareness doesn't always translate into action, as we saw in the Channel 4 TV show Swiped where parents illustrated that they didn’t know for certain what their children were seeing online. Only 70% of parents actually use these tools, indicating a significant gap between knowledge and implementation.
When it comes to specific monitoring practices:
56% of parents of 15- to 17-year-olds check which websites their teen visits.
63% of parents of older teens check their teen's social media profiles.
35% of parents know the password to at least one of their teen's social media accounts.
These statistics suggest that while many parents are making efforts to stay informed, a substantial portion may not have a complete picture of their teen's online activities.
Explore how you can start talking to your children about online safety in our free guide here.
The Reality Gap
Despite parental efforts, there's often a disconnect between what parents believe they know and what their children actually experience online:
A study found that parental awareness and self-perceived knowledge of their children's online activities differ between mothers and fathers.
Parents are less likely to accurately know about the occurrence of content risks (such as viewing pornographic or violent content) for girls.
40% of parents say they struggle to control their child's screen time.
These findings suggest that many parents may overestimate their understanding of their teen's online behavior or underestimate the risks their children face.
The importance of Communication
Interestingly, parents tend to monitor younger teens more closely than older ones. For example, parents of 13- to 14-year-olds are more likely to check which websites their teens visit compared to parents of older teens. This decrease in monitoring as teens age could leave older teenagers more vulnerable to online risks without parental awareness.
Moreover, open communication between parents and teens about online safety is crucial. Research shows that children whose parents set up parental controls are more likely to have conversations about online safety. This highlights the importance of parental engagement in promoting safer online behavior. By combining technical measures with ongoing dialogue, parents can better understand and guide their children's online experiences, helping to create a safer digital environment for teens. Effective communication not only helps parents stay informed but also empowers teens to make responsible choices online.
Where to go from here?
While many parents are making efforts to stay informed about their children's online activities, there's still a significant gap in awareness and effective monitoring, especially for teens aged 13-16. As technology evolves and teens become more independent online, it's crucial for parents to not only utilize available monitoring tools but also to foster open communication about digital safety. By combining technical measures with ongoing dialogue, parents can better understand and guide their children's online experiences, helping to create a safer digital environment for teens.
At Big Sister, we advocate for children's safety online. Our app marks a positive change in the way that our children are protected online, using flags and alerts to warn parents of dangerous content without breaking down trust and privacy barriers between children and adults.
Find out more about how to protect your children online without breaking their trust in our latest blog here.
Or sign up to our waitlist to be the first to know when the app launches and get access to our early bird discount.