UK Wedding News
18/06/2014
One in seven parents have found unsuitable content on their child's mobile phone, a new survey has revealed.
In addition, almost half of parents admitted they have been concerned with certain search terms they have found on their children's Google history.
The study, carried out by internet and mobile security firm BullGuard, asked 2,000 parents – of children aged between 7 and 14 – about their offspring's online safety.
Phrases parents suspected their children of searching for online included terms like, "girls", "kissing", "sex" and "naked pictures", while a quarter of parents thought their children looked for inappropriate jokes or songs which featured explicit lyrics.
When the discovery of inappropriate content is found, a third of parents have reprimanded their children. 22% of parents added that they had held a "serious conversation" with their child about something they had found on their mobile device. Of those, 30% said their son or daughter was left highly embarrassed, 10% said they were ashamed and while one in 20 said they were upset.
Elsewhere, 36% of parents think their child meets up with their friends and they search for inappropriate images or words together.
When it comes to sex and the body, more than a third of parents said their offspring was "curious", but 72% would prefer that a child talks to them rather than search online for the answers. For one in 10 embarrassed parents though, they admitted they would rather their children seek advice from the internet – so they wouldn't have to answer any awkward questions.
While 43% do check their children's internet history, 14% also regularly check who they are friends with on social networking sites. The normal for checking internet history was found to be around once a week, but one in 10 parents admitted to checking every day. For 33% of mums and dads – they rarely, or never, check their children's internet search history.
Commenting on the findings, Cam Le, CMO for BullGuard, said: "The research shows that while many parents appreciate that children are naturally curious, they are also concerned about the potential dangers that exist online and the likelihood of their child experiencing unsuitable and inappropriate content.
"As children grow older it becomes commonplace for them to want to search for terms they hear in the playground or used by adults, or to visit the same sorts of websites as their friends, which can make it very difficult for parents to keep a constant eye on what's going on.
"We're all busy people, and it's not easy to keep abreast of everything your child does online. The internet offers a wealth of genuinely useful, interesting and educational content that can be of great benefit to our children, so it's important that they have access to this in a safe and secure environment.
"That's where mobile security software comes in – modern parental controls are advanced enough to allow parents to choose what sites are safe to visit, to view reports on a child's activity or receive alerts if inappropriate content is detected. It offers significant peace of mind and gives parents a helping hand in staying one step ahead of the potential dangers."
(JP/IT)
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1 In 7 Parents Snoop On Their Child's Phone
One in seven parents have found unsuitable content on their child's mobile phone, a new survey has revealed.
In addition, almost half of parents admitted they have been concerned with certain search terms they have found on their children's Google history.
The study, carried out by internet and mobile security firm BullGuard, asked 2,000 parents – of children aged between 7 and 14 – about their offspring's online safety.
Phrases parents suspected their children of searching for online included terms like, "girls", "kissing", "sex" and "naked pictures", while a quarter of parents thought their children looked for inappropriate jokes or songs which featured explicit lyrics.
When the discovery of inappropriate content is found, a third of parents have reprimanded their children. 22% of parents added that they had held a "serious conversation" with their child about something they had found on their mobile device. Of those, 30% said their son or daughter was left highly embarrassed, 10% said they were ashamed and while one in 20 said they were upset.
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Elsewhere, 36% of parents think their child meets up with their friends and they search for inappropriate images or words together.
When it comes to sex and the body, more than a third of parents said their offspring was "curious", but 72% would prefer that a child talks to them rather than search online for the answers. For one in 10 embarrassed parents though, they admitted they would rather their children seek advice from the internet – so they wouldn't have to answer any awkward questions.
While 43% do check their children's internet history, 14% also regularly check who they are friends with on social networking sites. The normal for checking internet history was found to be around once a week, but one in 10 parents admitted to checking every day. For 33% of mums and dads – they rarely, or never, check their children's internet search history.
Commenting on the findings, Cam Le, CMO for BullGuard, said: "The research shows that while many parents appreciate that children are naturally curious, they are also concerned about the potential dangers that exist online and the likelihood of their child experiencing unsuitable and inappropriate content.
"As children grow older it becomes commonplace for them to want to search for terms they hear in the playground or used by adults, or to visit the same sorts of websites as their friends, which can make it very difficult for parents to keep a constant eye on what's going on.
"We're all busy people, and it's not easy to keep abreast of everything your child does online. The internet offers a wealth of genuinely useful, interesting and educational content that can be of great benefit to our children, so it's important that they have access to this in a safe and secure environment.
"That's where mobile security software comes in – modern parental controls are advanced enough to allow parents to choose what sites are safe to visit, to view reports on a child's activity or receive alerts if inappropriate content is detected. It offers significant peace of mind and gives parents a helping hand in staying one step ahead of the potential dangers."
(JP/IT)
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