Do you know exactly what your kids do on the Internet? (Topic)

According to a survey by Common Sense Media and SurveyMonkey, even the most considerate parents can be wrong. Friendship of a child on Facebook or installing spyware on their smartphone is often not enough to track all of their online activity.

And when adults learn about what kids are sharing on Snapchat and other social media, they are often horrified. What will win in the end - the desire of adolescents for independence or the stupid desire of parents to control every step of the child?

Common Sense Media and SurveyMonkey conducted a collaborative study to answer this difficult question. The survey was conducted from September 20 to October 12, 2017; a total of 884 adolescents aged 14 to 17 years and 282 parents were covered. The respondents were selected from 3 million US residents surveyed daily on SurveyMonkey. The margin of error can be 2-2.5% for parents and 3.5% for teenagers.

Research results

• Parents are sure they know a lot about their child's online life, but teenagers don't think so

More than half of parents say they are reasonably or well aware of what their teenage child is doing online. However, only 30% of teenagers confirm their words.

• Parents use modern technology to monitor their child's life

26% of parents admitted to using GPS trackers or installing spyware on their children's mobile devices, but only 15% of children know or suspect they are being tracked.

• Teens are more honest than adults think

34% of parents believe their child has secret accounts, but only 27% of teens confirm their presence.

• Snapchat is the biggest concern for parents

The use of Snapchat by children worries 29% of parents. Facebook scored just 16%. Only 6% of parents are nervous about Instagram. At the same time, 20% of adults said that no application in their child's smartphone causes them anxiety.

• The older the parents, the less they delve into Internet technologies

Almost two-thirds of adults under 34 (65%) say they are reasonably knowledgeable or knowledgeable about a child's online life. In the age group 55 and older, only half of adults say this.

• Facebook and Twitter are not cool anymore

Over 75% of teens use Instagram and Snapchat. Only half of them use Facebook. Less than half use Twitter regularly.

• Parents are more friends with their kids on Facebook than on other platforms

The vast majority of teenagers who use Facebook are friends there with their parents. Adults are less familiar with Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter, so the percentage of their friendship with children there is relatively small.

What to do?

Sooner or later, the child will stop reporting every step he takes on the Internet, but not necessarily because he will start doing something reprehensible. For those parents who are deeply concerned about this truth of life, there are technical solutions to ensure online safety of children (parental controls, privacy settings, trackers, traffic monitoring software, etc.), but they are not perfect either.

If you want to know more about what your child is doing online, just talk to him. Ask him to take you on a tour of social media, talk about which platforms he prefers and why he considers them important. Even the most introverted teenagers are happy to take on the role of an expert and try to do everything possible to allay their parents' fears.

The Topic of Article: Do you know exactly what your kids do on the Internet?.
Author: Jake Pinkman