Many uncertain digital parents
(Fornebu, 23 February 2017) Despite higher levels of online engagement amongst parents, they remain just as uncertain about their own abilities to deal with their children’s digital challenges this year as they were last year. ‘Many doubt their own abilities to help their kids,’ says Berit Svendsen.
Telenor is today launching a new curriculum on Foreldreskolen.no (Parent School) featuring six new digital parent module packed with insights into children’s lives online. The new modules are on what are likely to be red topics in many families, such as the enforcement of age limits on games and on social media, the rules for online gaming, children’s safety online and their right to a private life.
‘There’s a lot that us parents have to stay up-to-date on, and it isn’t always easy to keep up with the latest apps or social media being used by our kids. Foreldreskolen.no can help to ensure that more parents acquire the knowledge they need to provide their children with a safe, digital upbringing,’ says Berit Svendsen, CEO of Telenor Norway.
Logging on
For the third year in a row, analysts Penetrace have carried out a major survey on behalf of Foreldreskolen.no. This year we have gathered fresh insights from more than 1600 parents with children aged 10-15 years old, as well as 500 of their children. Compared with last year, parents’ engagement with their children's lives online has increased.
‘We’re talking more to our kids about the challenges posed by the Internet - more of us have logged on to children’s social channels and we more actively seeking out information. All the same, there are still just as many parents who are uncertain whether they have sufficient knowledge to deal with the challenges of children’s online lives,’ Svendsen explains.
Four out of ten parents only feel to a small extent that they have sufficient knowledge to help their children with their digital challenges. More than half say they are concerned about children’s safety online and on mobiles.
‘Challenging’
Many are afraid, for example, that children will be subjected to the spread of pictures, that they will receive unwanted attention, and that they will see serious violence of pornography. More than one in three children confirm that they have had unpleasant experiences online.
‘I think this is a high figure. It tells us that children often have to deal with things online that they don’t like, and which have a negative impact on them. I don’t think there are any filters or blocks for all the bad things that exist online, and we can’t protect our kids from everything, but we can be present and show them that we want to share in what they experience online,’ says Svendsen.
On foreldreskolen.no, you will encounter 15 digital experts aged between 12 and 16 years old, who will share their advice. 14 year old Julian from Oslo has a fairly relaxed attitude towards adult content:
‘A lot of what I’m not allowed to see is stuff that I don’t want to see. It seems a complete waste of my time to look at it,’ he says.
Letting screens form barriers
Both parents and children who responded to the survey reacted to the time spent by the other group online and on their mobiles. More than 80 per cent of children reacted to mum and dad’s excessive use of PCs or mobiles, while 40 per cent of parents do not think it is an issue for their children.
‘It is fantastic that parents are logging on, but we have to ensure that our screens don’t form a barrier between us and our kids. Regardless of who is using them,’ Svendsen concludes.
You can read more and watch videos featuring our digital teachers at Foreldreskolen.no.
About the Digital Parents’ School (Foreldreskolen.no)
• Launched by Telenor in 2016, and featuring a new curriculum effective Thursday 23 February 2017.
• The goal of the Digital Parents’ School is to provide adults with the insights needed, as well as the motivation and self-confidence, to talk to their digital children about life online.
• We have brought in the leading experts in the field - children themselves. This year, our 15 digital teachers aged 12-16 years old are providing their best tips to parents.
• The six new modules are on what will likely be red hot topics in many families. These include the enforcement of age limits on games and social media, the rules for online gaming, children’s right to a private life and safety online.
• The website also provides links to other resources and simple tests that you can take alone or together with your children. The goal is to create a single basis from which to test knowledge and contribute to starting good dialogue in the home.
The top 5 tips for parents from Foreldreskolen.no:
1) Develop your own online skills
2) Be a good role model
3) Respect children’s right to a private life
4) Talk with other parents
5) Cyber bullying affects everyone!
