Young children using online social networks, three-quarters of parents “spying” on them
August 7, 2008 by Andy Merrett · 1 Comment
It must be something about the school summer holidays that’s bringing out surveys about children and parents and their relationship with the Internet… and each other.
Not a week after a survey about parental knowledge of their children’s online activities comes another from Garlik.
This one suggests that 75% of parents are monitoring what their children get up to online without their knowledge, by logging in to their social networking accounts, or setting up their own profiles so that they can “spy” on their kids.
The survey of 1,000 children aged from 8-15, and 1,030 parents, also found that children as young as eight are visiting web sites which aren’t meant for under-12s, including the social network phenomena of Facebook, MySpace, and Bebo.
More worrying is that around two-thirds of children admitted to posting information that could help identify them individually, such as mobile phone numbers and where they go to school. One in five had even met up with people they’d only befriended online.
Garlik, a company involved in the prevention of online fraud and identity theft, said that web sites needed to do more to prevent underage children from accessing them. However, parents are also responsible for what their children get up to online, and while spying may seem a bit drastic, there are things families can do to minimise the risks.
(Via Pocket Lint)
Mums look to online advice to avoid the judgement of others
November 24, 2007 by Andy Merrett · 1 Comment
According to new research by child medicine manufacturer Tixylix, modern mums are jumping online to find advice and support on parenting issues because they feel less judged than in other, more traditional environments.
Just two percent of mums surveyed said they felt judged by online peers, compared to one-quarter who felt judged by their neighbours and other mums at the school gate.
Unsurprisingly, at least for its fair share of (possibly untrue) anecdotal evidence, 26% of those who responded said that their mother-in-law was the most judgemental about parenting issues.
It’s not all online meetings though, with events like coffee mornings regularly attended by 54% of mums. Then again, one in five mums regularly log on to parenting sites when they need advice in a hurry.
Parenting expert Dr Jenny Leonard said, “The findings reflect a growing trend for modern mums to seek advice and support from a wider range or sources than ever before. The internet in particular allows mums to feel connected to the outside world and to seek answers to parenting questions
quickly and also without feeling embarrassed or judged.”
Parents get to understand MySpace and connect with their kids using myspacemykids.com
February 24, 2007 by Andy Merrett · Leave a Comment
The MySpace MyKids project is a new user-friendly website designed to familiarize parents with social networking and help them protect their kids.
It’s a powerful educational program for parents who want to not only protect their children, but also better understand and connect with their teens.
Teens use the web when mourning loss of friends
February 19, 2007 by Andy Merrett · Leave a Comment
The power of social networking sites such as MySpace goes beyond the grave, as online spaces frequented by a large number of teenagers are used as meeting places even after the untimely death of friends.
Over half of all teenagers who use the Internet use these types of site, so online profile pages become very important even if their owner isn’t around any more.
