Emma Robertson

Two-thirds of parents (65%) say they've been concerned by content their child has viewed online, according to new research released to mark Safer Internet Day. The findings from a poll commissioned by Vodafone further suggest only 1 in 8 parents (13%) feel very confident with the safety features designed to keep children safe online  The study highlights a digital knowledge gap between the generations, with 12 revealed to be the age at which parents feel their child's digital knowledge overtakes their own. 6 in 10 parents (60%) said they wished they were more digitally savvy with two-thirds (66%) admitting they are completely baffled by digital slang words, such us "oomf" (one of my friends), "cheugy" (out of date; trying too hard) and "smishing" (a scam involving the use of text messages). As the debate over the long-awaited Online Safety Bill continues to make headlines, 45% of respondents said they were most concerned about their child's exposure to harmful or inappropriate content. They also worried about online bullying (40%), strangers communicating with their child (38%) and about how their child's mental health could be affected (26%). Social media apps such as Tik Tok, Instagram and Facebook were the online platforms that prompted the most concerns about safety from parents, with more than a quarter (27%) claiming they would feel more at ease with their child using the internet if they had a better understanding of how to keep them safe. Remarkably, while around 1 in 7 (15%) claim their child has previously managed to disable in internet safety settings they have put in place, nearly 1 in 6 (17%) parents believe their children are safe online without supervision or controls.   The findings are released in line with the launch of Vodafone's interactive Digital Parenting Pro, one of the biggest parental controls and safety settings resources in the UK.  Created in partnership with Digital Awareness UK, the hub, which includes tips from NSPCC experts, will equip parents and carers with all the information and tools they need to feel confident about the social media apps their children use, the games they play and the sites they access. Joining the conversation is Emma Robertson who campaigns to help young people survive and thrive online. She'll be sharing her top tips on how parents can keep their children safe online and on what young people themselves can do to avoid potentially harmful content.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.