As mobile phones have become commonplace for today’s children, so have safety concerns that accompany the conveniences and connectivity. Parenting in today’s tech-filled world can be exhausting because it seems danger lurks around every corner. But as they say, knowledge is power and a new survey from Cox Mobile, titled “Generation Screen: Parenting and Mobile Safety,” uncovers new trends that parents should be aware of and arms them with useful tips and guides to help navigate today’s digital world.
The survey data reveals that more than 30 percent of parents said their child had been contacted by a stranger on a mobile device, and nearly one-third of those strangers referenced their child’s location. Most are concerned about their children encountering predatory or inappropriate behavior on their phones and more than half agree that the use of social media apps elevates safety risk for kids. So, if you haven’t checked if your kids’ device location sharing is on, now’s the time.
No doubt it can be confusing to understand how different apps use location-sharing services, and when to turn them on or off. Some parents use location sharing for good, relying on family safety apps, like Life360, to see their child’s location. Other apps — like popular social media apps — can share your exact location, publicly and in real-time, to your story or feed. Here are guides to today’s most used social media apps to help you understand the risks and benefits of each.
“I know firsthand the challenges of parenting today’s tech-savvy kids. Many get their first phone between the ages of 10 and 14, much earlier than other generations,” said Kathryn Falk, Northern Virginia Market Vice President for Cox Communications. “While providing kids with greater access to technology enables many positive connections and benefits, the reality is that real dangers can exist just one tap or swipe away. As our customers’ trusted connectivity provider, we are encouraging digital literacy, educating families on the potential risks, and promoting safer, informed use of these incredibly powerful connectivity tools.”
While its encouraging to know that the data shows a large majority of parents discuss mobile device safety with their children several times per week and check their child’s screen time and text messages daily to three times per week, the risks only seem to be increasing. Parents today must help their children stay vigilant to dangers like cyberbullying, inappropriate content, and predators, while still facing challenges around healthy mobile phone behaviors such as screen time. Consider the role your screen time habits can play in forming the habits of your kids. Take a personal inventory of your entire household’s mobile phone use and model the behavior you want to see from your child. Here are great tips to get started.
For more data points from “Generation Screen: Parenting and Mobile Safety,” a Cox Mobile Survey, plus tips and resources visit coxmobilesafety.com. To learn more about Cox Mobile, a simple and flexible solution to fit your life and budget, exclusively for Cox home internet customers, visit cox.com/mobile.
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