Nearly half of parents (47%) believe their kids know more than them about digital technology by the age of 12 years old, research has revealed.
Six in ten parents (59%) wish they were more “digitally savvy” – as 15% have been outwitted by kids who have successfully disabled the safety settings they put in place.
And the poll of 2,000 mums and dads, with children aged up to 18 years old, found digital safety to be the area where they feel most ill-equipped when it comes to their offspring using the internet.
Their biggest concerns for their child's safety centre around the use of social media, messaging apps, and video-sharing platforms – with just 13% of parents feeling confident in navigating parental control features.
When it comes to language, “Face Card”, “OOMF”, and “GRWM” are just some of the modern-day digital terms that two-thirds of parents have never heard of.
And while 28% know what Discord is, just one in ten (11%) are familiar with BeReal – despite its recent popularity.
The research was commissioned by Vodafone to mark the launch of its new parental controls and safety settings resource, Digital Parenting Pro, in line with Safer Internet Day taking place today (Tuesday 7th February).
Nicki Lyons, corporate affairs and sustainability officer at Vodafone UK, said: “When it comes to tech, any parent or carer knows what it feels like when your kids know more than you.
“This is why we've created Digital Parenting Pro, to help adults easily understand what safety controls do or don’t exist on the latest games or social platforms, what age they are recommended for, and what safety features there are.
“We understand just how fast things move, and our latest resource should give parents confidence when navigating the digital world.”
And 85% allow their kids to access online content – but one in three (33%) of the parents polled would feel more at ease with their child using the internet if they were able to regularly supervise, while 27% would feel this way if they had a better understanding of how to keep them safe.
And a further 32% would feel better if they knew they had the correct parental controls in place.
Despite the unfamiliarity when it comes to online safety settings, an encouraging 90% of those polled, via OnePoll, would be confident talking to their son or daughter about online precautions.
When it comes to being educated, 37% would like to learn more about modern day phrases and language, while 35% are keen to know more about the platforms their children use.
Will Gardner, director of the UK Safer Internet Centre, said: “Safer Internet Day 2023 is about encouraging children and young people to talk about their lives online, as well as providing parents and carers with the information and tools to facilitate these important conversations that go beyond a single day.
“It is great to see Vodafone actively supporting it with its new resource, as it will help equip parents with the information they need to help support their children online.”
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