As parents seek control, kids will find somewhere new to hide
http://ycorpblog.com/2010/06/10/internet-safety/
Yahoo! Gives Parents a B+ During Internet Safety Month posted 10 June 2010 -
Parents take action
We are encouraged to learn that parents are taking action to actively monitor their kids’ online activity.
* 70% of parents talk to their children about online safety at least 2-3 times a year; 45% talk to their children least once a month.
* 74% of parents are connected to their children’s profiles on social networking sites.
* 71% of parents have taken at least one action to manage their children’s use of the Internet or cell phones. Parents are checking to see where children are searching online, setting time limits, setting parental controls on video sites, and using filters to limit where their children go on the Web.
MDFP Comment – what worries me is that Parents (and I am one) think that they can stay ahead of the kids (and I was one). Orange conducted some research that asked “why do kids love technology” and concluded “it is a place they can go where parents don’t have control” Once we were allowed to roam across the fields and go to friends house, but today this is somewhat more limited for many reasons. However that same spirit of our children is still there and there is a fine line ( as with management ) between trust, supervision, instruction, command and control.
I am worried that the default that parents are forced into is “command and control” parenting for digital stuff as they don’t understand it. Kids will move on faster than you will ever know, Facebook watch out!
Dads are doing their part and then some.
* 71% of dads (compared to 63% of moms) say they are taking at least one action to help manage their children’s online behavior, including having conversations about respecting the privacy of others and checking their children’s privacy settings.
* Fathers more often check to see what personal information can be easily found about their children by searching their names online.
* 53% of dads surveyed told us they plug their children’s names into a search engine at least 2-3 times per year (compared to 38% of moms), and 33% of dads told us they search at least once a month.
“Digital footprint” is a mystery to many
Do you know what your “digital footprint” is? If not, you’re not alone. 65% of people are not sure what a digital footprint is. I define a digital footprint as the data trail (i.e. photos, profile information, comments, and blogs) that you leave through your activity in a digital environment. The survey unveiled that:
MDFP Comment – alas if Yahoo! get this wrong then we have a problem Huston. What you say about yourself is such a small part, it is what your data says as well and what others say and then how you react – previous blog on this is here. http://blog.mydigitalfootprint.com/whats-your-digital-footprint-mdfp
When was the last time you conducted an online search of your name or your child’s name? We found that only 20% of people plug their own name into a search engine once a month or more, and 49% of people do it 2 – 3 times a year or less. That’s not enough. This is not about doing a vanity search; it’s about learning what’s out there and ultimately taking control of your online image.
MDFP Comment – I posted on the new Pew Reputation – far better stats. http://blog.mydigitalfootprint.com/pew-report