There is no denying that technology and the internet are going to play a huge part in our children’s lives.
However, when it comes to keeping our children safe online, a brand new study has confirmed that for the most part, Irish parents feel like they don’t know how to do this.
According to an online survey of 520 parents of children aged between 6 and 16 years conducted by the National Anti-bullying Research and Resource Centre, DC, a whopping 75 percent of Irish parents claim they do not intervene in their child’s online activity due to fear, disruption of child’s privacy, lack of confidence with technology and uncertainty in how to tackle problems.
Furthermore, the study, which was conducted on behalf of the Vodafone Ireland Foundation, clearly revealed that Irish parents require increased support in this regard, with almost half of parents admitting they have turned to friends, family and other parents for advice on keeping their children safe online, and 85 percent saying they would welcome an increase in services, websites, talks and events for parents would play a key support role in them keeping their children safe online.
45 percent of parents asked admitted they are not happy with their child’s online usage with 17 percent confirming that their child had a negative experience online and a further 9 percent admitting they were uncertain as to whether their child had a negative experience or not.
On the back of the findings from the survey, Vodafone Ireland now launches a brand new Digital Parenting Portal to help educate parents on this issue, and promote child online safety.
Packed with free resources, articles and practical tools, Vodafone’s Digital Parenting Portal has been developed to provide parents, guardians and carers with information and advice on how best to engage in productive conversations around online safety with their children.
Commenting on the launch of the Digital Parenting Portal, Vodafone Ireland’s Liam O’Brien said: “I am very pleased to announce the launch of Vodafone Ireland’s Digital Parenting Portal, which aims to help create a safer, more progressive online world for young people in our society. Our aim is to open up the conversation around online safety in Ireland, ensuring that parents and young people are fully equipped with the knowledge and confidence to navigate our increasingly digital society.”
