Are you worried?
With children and young people increasingly living life online, the onus on parents and guardians to be informed and empowered is a constant concern.
According to new research of 750 parents of children aged 4 – 14, 69% of children use connected devices daily, and just under two-thirds (62%) are online for 1 to 3 hours per day.
The research found that nearly nine out of ten (88%) Irish parents worry about the content their child could be seeing online and 47% are troubled by a lack of control over their internet use.
The reasons for parents’ concerns are varied,* with 80% concerned about their children being exposed to strangers online, 66% are fearful of explicit content, and just over half (52%) worried that their children might unwittingly fall victim to a cyber-attack or online virus.
The study also reveals that over half (57%) of Irish parents frequently restrict online access through parental controls or by manually turning on and off internet connections.
A further 53% of parents feel that it is hard for their child to focus on schoolwork when they have access to other online platforms.
Speaking with us today, Claire Reynolds, Head of Segment, Vodafone Ireland said:
“Our research shows many parents and guardians are worried and don’t feel informed when it comes to protecting their children online. We are delighted to provide technology that allows parents more control over their children’s activity and accessibility with features such as focus time, content filtering, pause and bedtime.
The unique in-and-out of home protection offering with Secure Net gives customers more confidence that time online is spent safely and that children and loved ones are not being exposed to unsuitable content, phishing scams and other attacks on their devices.
For those feeling overwhelmed and looking for more information and guidance, The Digital Ready Hub, developed by ISPCC and the Vodafone Ireland Foundation, is an always- on resource which provides articles, downloadable tips and guides and videos on topics including digital resilience and empathy; digital platforms and devices; online risks and cyberbullying, security and privacy.’’
