A new study has emerged that has shed some light on an enormous disparity between how parents perceive online privacy and what kids say that they want. This study was conducted by 1Password in collaboration with Malwarebytes, and it reveals that parental assumptions about online privacy are almost entirely out of line with what their children think they should do.
There seems to be a lot of confusion with respect to parental controls, for example. 89% of parents said that they kept a close eye on what their children did online, but with all of that having been said and now out of the way it is important to note that only 34% of children said that their online activities are being monitored. That suggest that parents are unaware of much of what their kids do, and that puts their children at greater risk than might have been the case otherwise.
72% of Gen Z respondents said that they used numerous methods to hide from their parents and their monitoring, including the use of VPNs as well as secret devices. However, that does not mean that children are taking risks and evading parents who are acting responsibly. 94% of parents seem to think that they do not need to ask their children for permission before posting pictures of them online, whereas 73% of Gen Z said that they wanted to be asked prior to doing so.
That indicates that Gen Z are more savvy about the online world. Parents are clearly unaware of the risks associated with posting photos on social media, and their lack of tech knowledge might make their well intentioned monitoring little more than a nuisance that does nothing to protect their children from the dangers of the online world.
Parents need to do a better job of protecting kids, and trying to monitor their every move clearly isn’t working. Understanding the risks of online access is more important than trying to control their children just for the sake of it, and until parents do that they won’t be able to keep their children safe. Take a look at below graphics for more insights:
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There seems to be a lot of confusion with respect to parental controls, for example. 89% of parents said that they kept a close eye on what their children did online, but with all of that having been said and now out of the way it is important to note that only 34% of children said that their online activities are being monitored. That suggest that parents are unaware of much of what their kids do, and that puts their children at greater risk than might have been the case otherwise.
72% of Gen Z respondents said that they used numerous methods to hide from their parents and their monitoring, including the use of VPNs as well as secret devices. However, that does not mean that children are taking risks and evading parents who are acting responsibly. 94% of parents seem to think that they do not need to ask their children for permission before posting pictures of them online, whereas 73% of Gen Z said that they wanted to be asked prior to doing so.
That indicates that Gen Z are more savvy about the online world. Parents are clearly unaware of the risks associated with posting photos on social media, and their lack of tech knowledge might make their well intentioned monitoring little more than a nuisance that does nothing to protect their children from the dangers of the online world.
Parents need to do a better job of protecting kids, and trying to monitor their every move clearly isn’t working. Understanding the risks of online access is more important than trying to control their children just for the sake of it, and until parents do that they won’t be able to keep their children safe. Take a look at below graphics for more insights:
