Nowadays children spend most of their time online. In this hectic lifestyle, it is difficult to keep an eye on what children are doing online all the time. At the same time, in view of the increasing online crime and fraud, parents are always worried that their children should not fall prey to it. Most recently, McAfee Corp., a global leader in online security. released its first ever Global Connected Family Study, surveying 15,500 parents and their more than 12,000 children in 10 countries to understand how they connect and protect themselves and their loved ones online . The Connected Families Study of 2022 uncovers a huge global gap in the attitudes and actions that families take to protect their loved ones and how the most vulnerable can be left under-protected.
Parents more careful than children
The study found that parents take more precautions than children, such as installing antivirus software, using password protection, or purchasing from a reputable online store. For example, 56% of parents said they protect their smartphone with a password or passcode, with only 42% saying they do the same for their child’s smartphone.
90% of parents know their role as online protectors
“90 percent of parents recognize their role as online protectors. This data is intended to shed light on what can be done to counter some of the risks children face in online activities,” said McAfee’s vice president of Marketing Sachin Puri said – “As an important part of this research study, we want to give parents the knowledge they need to succeed as effective online protectors for their connected families.”
What does the 2022 McAfee Connected Family Study say?
McAfee revealed a lot about online safety as well as the tension between parents and children when it comes to staying safe online. Globally, four themes emerged:
1. Mobile Maturity: At what age are children starting their digital presence?
Adult-grade Internet access begins early, as well as the risks that follow. By the age of 15-16, teens hit their online strides and mobile use increases significantly, so much so that it reaches the level they will move into adulthood.
Children want to feel safe online, and 73 percent of children surveyed look to parents more than any other resource for help with online safety.
– By age 17 to 18, reports of cyberbullying increase to 18%, attempted online account thefts to 16%, and unauthorized use of personal data to 14%.
2. Parents as Safekeepers: Are Parents Effectively Protecting Their Children Online?
Families universally acknowledge the role of parents in keeping children safe online, but parents struggle to do so.
– On PCs and laptops, parents reported limited online safety measures for themselves, despite the availability and ease of use included in these measures – yet when asked whether they took the same precautions for their children, These measures become even less.
– While 56% of parents said they protect their smartphone with a password or passcode, only 42% said they do the same for their child’s smartphone.
3. Teens and Tweens Online Secret Life: What Are Tweens and Teens Really Doing Online?
Children and teens crave privacy and protection as they build their connected lives.
– From clearing browser history to leaving information about what they are doing online, more than half of children (59%) work to hide their online activity.
– With regard to general activity, parents and their children track down the top three activities of tweens and teens online around the world.
– short video voting (YouTube) – parents think, 66%; children say 67%
– browsing the Internet – parents think, 64%; children say 66%
– Streaming music – parents think, 53%; kids say 55%