Most parents of teenagers are concerned about what their teenage children do online and how their behavior could be monitored by others. Some parents are taking steps to observe, discuss, and check up on their children’s digital footprints.
About seven-in-ten (72%) are concerned about how their children interact online with people they do not know and 69% express concern that their childrens’ online activities might affect their future academic or employment options.
A notable number of parents, especially parents of younger teens, are taking steps to act on these concerns. For example, 50% of parents of online teens have used parental controls or other means of blocking, filtering, or monitoring their child’s online activities—a number that has remained almost unchanged since last year.
Nearly half (46%) have talked with their children about their online profiles. About four-in-ten (42%) have searched for their child’s name online to see what information is available about him or her.
In addition to these activities, 44% of parents of online teens say they have taken the step of reading the privacy policies of websites or social networking sites that their child is using and 31% have helped their child put privacy settings in place on social networks. Read more
