Nearly nine out of ten Irish parents are concerned about the content their child might see online and half suffer from a lack of control over their internet use.
Today’s new survey reveals several reasons for parental concerns, with 80 percent worrying about their children being exposed to strangers online.
Meanwhile, 66 percent are afraid of explicit content, and just over half (52 percent) are afraid that their children will unknowingly become victims of a cyber attack or an online virus.
On the occasion of the launch of Secure Net, a new digital security product, Vodafone Ireland has conducted a survey into public concerns and behavior about online safety
and safety.
It found that many of us don’t feel as comfortable online as we’d like, with two-thirds (66 percent) admitting to worrying about their online safety and not being confident in how to protect themselves.
It also found that 88 percent of parents are concerned about their children online.
According to the survey of 750 parents of children between the ages of 4 and 14, about 69 percent of children use connected devices on a daily basis and just under two-thirds (62 percent) are online for one to three hours a day.
ISPCC Childline chief executive John Church said: “Technology and the Internet are almost completely embedded in our children’s lives today. As a result, they have few options to switch off completely.
“It is important that children and young people, with the support of their parents and carers, talk about the best way to ensure they are safe online. This interaction may involve conversations about managing the type of content they interact with and setting time limits for internet access.”
Claire Reynolds, Head of Consumer Marketing Segments at Vodafone Ireland, said: “At Vodafone, we are committed to making our customers’ lives easier… We are delighted to provide technology that gives parents greater control over operations and accessibility of their children with features such as focus time, content filtering, break and bedtime.”
For those looking for more information and guidance, the Digital Ready Hub, developed by ISPCC and the Vodafone Ireland Foundation, is an always available resource.