This is the number one fear for 75 percent of parents

Posted in Safety.
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When it comes to our worst fears, parents, it turns out, have one big thing in common. And it may surprise you. 

The biggest worry

According to a UK survey commissioned by Age Checked, an online age verification organisation, 75 percent of parents said their biggest worry was what their children were accessing online.

The 1,500 parents surveyed were very specific in the type of online content they found most troubling. Here they are in order:

  1. Stumbling across porn sites
  2. Stumbling across gambling sites
  3. Stumbling across gaming sites
  4. Purchasing guns or knives from online shopping sites

Girl using iPad

Social media habits

Access to pornography was highlighted as the most concerning material as it had the potential to impact a young person’s perspective on sex and intimacy.

And underage kids don’t necessarily have to have access to actual porn sites to be influenced by it, with adult industry ads often popping up on social media feeds, uncensored.

The research also revealed some interesting insights into young children’s social media habits.

While social media giants like Facebook and Instagram prohibit accounts for anyone less than 13 years old, most parents admitted their 10-year-olds had accessed it.

How to protect your kids

Julie Inman Grant is the eSafety Commissioner, leading online safety education for the Australian Government. She says that if your child is playing with your phone, you need to start a conversation with them about safety.

“We need to look at technology now as the digital playground, and the same rules that apply in terms of overseeing your child out there in the reserve should apply to how you’re engaging with your children in their online lives,” she says. “So that means getting involved with them early and often. If they are swiping that iPad, they need to understand the digital dos and don’ts”. 

If you are concerned abut what your child may be viewing online, the Office of the eSafety Commissioner has a webpage with dedicated resources for parents.

 


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