OK, most parents now realise that they need to have some kind of idea of what their kids get up to while they’re using the Internet. But a recent survey of 4,400 parents worldwide found that while nearly half of them tracked their teenage children’s activity on Facebook, many don’t have a clear idea of what other potentially nefarious activities their offspring are indulging in.
The survey, part of security company AVG’s Digital Diaries research project, highlights the differences in attitudes in 11 countries around the world. But while there are some notable variations (and specific figures for Australia, such as 57 per cent of parents following their children on Facebook), what struck me was the evident levels of denial amongst many parents.
Nowhere is this clearer than in a single statistic: 17 per cent of parents “suspect their teens of accessing pornography on their PC”. The only way I am prepared to believe that is if the other 83 per cent are certain their teens are accessing porn on their machines. No way is the actual usage (ahem) going to be that low.
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