CAN WE REALLY MAKE THE INTERNET A SAFE PLACE?

A fifth of parents don’t monitor what their children do online, resulting in large numbers of them being exposed to harmful content and bullying

- FIONA FORD

Keeping up with the kids

Over half (52%) of UK parents believe that their child is more digitally literate than them, with 55% expressing concern at this. Research carried out by Avast, a global leader in digital security, also found that 46% of parents want more education and guidance from cyber security and online privacy providers, and 39% would like easier-to-use privacy products and apps.

We all want to keep our children safe, and that includes online. These days, kids as young

as seven are using social media, but monitoring their activity and blocking access to certain sites and apps, only goes a small way in protecting them. According to a study, 22% of children admit they’ve seen something online that they wouldn’t want their parents to know about. And as well as inappropriate content, online bullying is rife. But reports show that 38% of parents are unaware of the risks of online bullying associated with social media sites and one in five don’t bother with parental controls. This lack of knowledge is one of the reasons experts hope Safer Internet Day on 6 February will raise awareness of online safety.

Woman’s Own explores the dangers kids are exposed to online and talks to a mum determined to protect her children. 

‘We’d spotted changes in their behaviour’