Nine out of 10 parents in the west worry about the content their children could view online, according to a Vodafone Ireland study.
It revealed that 56 per cent are concerned by a lack of control over their children’s internet use. The reasons for parents’ concerns are varied, 88 per cent state they are anxious about their child meeting strangers online or that they may be exposed to explicit content.
Three quarters of children in the west use connected devices daily while just under two-thirds are online for one to three hours each day, according to a national study into the Irish public’s concerns and behaviours around online safety and security.
It was conducted by Vodafone Ireland to mark the launch of Secure Net, a new digital protection product. It features parental tools, such as content filtering, pause, and focus time to help parents manage children’s time online.
The research revealed that 54 per cent of Connacht parents frequently restrict their children’s online access, such as turning off internet connections or restricting websites. A total of 27 per cent have fallen victim to a virus on their device in the past year, with a further 41 per cent experiencing two to three virus attacks during this period.
Of those who experienced online attacks, 18 per cent were hacked, 32 per cent had their data stolen, and one in 10 suffered financial loss.
The survey found that many west of Ireland residents are not as comfortable online as they would like to be, with just under two-thirds admitting they are concerned about their online safety and do not feel confident about how to protect themselves.
Almost seven in 10 western parents worry that their children might unwittingly fall victim to a cyber-attack or online virus while 55 per cent believe it is difficult for their child to focus on schoolwork when they have access to other online platforms.
Connacht parents confirmed that three-quarters of the content children are accessing is for entertainment reasons, 58 per cent is for gaming, 18 per cent for reading purposes, and 38 per cent of children’s time online is for e-learning.
Some 43 per cent of parents believe the benefits of owning a connected device include keeping in contact while away from home. More than three in five also appreciate that their child has access to online learning and schoolwork.
The study revealed that 94 per cent of people in the west have a smartphone and that there are gaming consoles in 41 per cent of households in the region. Fewer than three-quarters of Connacht’s population have access to a laptop while 38 per cent of people wear a smartwatch. In excess of a quarter of west of Ireland households own a desktop computer.
The chief executive, of the ISPCC’s Childline service John Church, said technology and the internet are almost fully embedded in our children’s lives today.
“As a result, they have few opportunities to switch off completely. It’s important that children and young people, with the support of their parents and caregivers, talk about the best way to ensure that they are safe online. This interaction could involve conversations about managing the type of content they engage with and about setting time limits for internet access.”
The ISPCC provides a range of services to children, young people, and families, including the Childline listening service - Ireland’s only 24-hour active listening service for under-18s. Any child or young person in Ireland can contact Childline at any time by calling 1800 66 66 66, texting 50101, or chatting online at Childline.ie
