A newglobal survey, commissioned by Kaspersky, explores the role of healthy digital habits in the family and the effect of parents’ behavior on children
Woburn, MA – December 2,2021 – According to anew Kaspersky study, most parents are worried about their kids’ digitalbehavior and want to manage and monitor it. Half of American respondents (50%)use parental control apps, and 49% regularly check children’s Internet history.Overall, 44% of parents report their kids use digital devices under the supervisionof either a parent (36%) or a family member (8%).
Modernchildren tend to be much more technically advanced from an early age thanprevious generations. One of the main reasons for this is that they have accessto gadgets and hands-on experience from a much younger age, as confirmed by arecent Kaspersky survey. Still, kids may not know all the rules of secure onlinebehavior. When parents give a child a gadget, many of them strive to monitorthe kids’ online activity to ensure their safety.
Themajority of parents in the U.S. seek to control the videos that children watch(59%), the sites they visit (57%), and the games they play (50%). In addition, 49%of respondents want to limit the time kids spend online and on their devicesthroughout the day.
Aroundhalf of parents discuss healthy digital habits with their kids (54%), useparental control apps (50%), and check their browsing history (49%). However,31% said they trust their kids and do not control them in any way.
Accordingto the survey results, parents and the family bear the main responsibility forregulating the behavior of children in the digital space (82%). That said, athird (33%) believe that teachers and schools should do this, and 31% feel thatkids should have personal responsibility.
Ninety-fourpercent of parents discussed the rules of online behavior and digital etiquettewith their children. Only 6% did not raise this topic with their kids (comparedto 10% globally).
“Due to the fact that modern children from earlychildhood use smartphones and other gadgets, they perceive the digital space assomething natural and familiar, like taking a walk,” Marina Titova, vicepresident, consumer product marketing at Kaspersky. “At the same time, thedigital space also has its own rules of secure behavior, which many teach fromchildhood, such as not communicating with strangers or going to unfamiliar andunknown places. Parents can make their children’s digital world more secure byshielding them from inappropriate content and helping them learn how to be securein a digital environment by using various tools and methods. For instance, adultscan encourage certain digital habits within the family or use parental controlapps, which can help filter out desirable and undesirable content categories,as well as check child’s online activity.”
“As therapists, we are convinced that trust is fundamentallybetter than control,” said therapists Birgitt Hölzel and Stefan Ruzas from theMunich practice Liebling + Schatz. “However, when it comes to mediaconsumption, parents distrust the content on the internet, not their ownchildren. That's why regulatory control is a good idea, because it aligns withparents’ desire to protect their kids. Nevertheless, there is a dilemma aroundhow much control is necessary and how much is too much.
“We all know that children are always looking for new spaces toenjoy experiences that are free from parental control – this independence isimportant and should be allowed, depending on the child’s age. At the sametime, it is important for parents to negotiate rules with children, even ifthese conversations are sometimes challenging. Kids respect rules andboundaries if they can understand them and any related consequences. That’s whywe recommend that parents make use of child protection apps or make theactivation of security settings transparent and explain them – this is howactive media education succeeds.
“Most children have their first smartphone at the age of nine or10. It is a gateway to a global world that is educational and entertaining, butalso full of problematic content. Think of this exposure like road traffic –it's incredibly exciting and thrilling to get out there, but it's importantthat parents accompany their children step-by-step to stay in touch as much aspossible. For driving, we have traffic rules and signs – we also need those onthe internet.”
The full reportis available via thislink.
Thefollowing steps will help parents ensure their children are secure online:
·Whileusing gadgets, kids may lack knowledge about cyber hygiene and online security.Parents can help by discussing possible scenarios with their children andsetting an example.
·Itis a good idea to install a parental control app. However, it is important to discussthis with your child and explain the reasons behind your actions so theyunderstand.
·If yourchild is an active user of social networks and shares a lot of content, you shoulddiscuss the problem of oversharing and data privacy. You can also subscribe toeach other on social networks and try to set an example. Always check geotagson photos, make sure that confidential information does not appear in photos ordescriptions, check comments. Leading by example will also show your kid how tosecurely share information with subscribers online while maintaining theirprivacy.
Aboutthe survey
InSeptember 2021, Kaspersky commissioned Sapio to conduct an online survey of 11,000respondents to explore the role of healthy digital habits in the family and theeffect of parenting habits on children and vice versa. The survey involvedadults who live with their children aged 7-12 years old, full-time. The sampleincluded 1,000 respondents from the UK, France, and Germany; and 500 in each ofthe following: US, Turkey, Egypt, Brazil, Colombia, Russia, South Africa,Malaysia, Singapore, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Peru, Chile, Argentina, andMexico.
About Kaspersky
Kaspersky is a global cybersecurity and digital privacycompany founded in 1997. Kaspersky’s deep threat intelligence and securityexpertise is constantly transforming into innovative security solutions andservices to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments, andconsumers around the globe. The company’s comprehensive security portfolioincludes leading endpoint protection and a number of specialized securitysolutions and services to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats.Over 400 million users are protected by Kaspersky technologies, and we help240,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them. Learn more at www.kaspersky.com.
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