One in two have mobile rules for their kids

(Fornebu, 15 May 2015) Six out of ten parents believe it is important to have control over what their kids use their mobiles for. Over 50 per cent set their own rules for kids' mobile use, while almost four out of ten have no control over how much time their kids spend using their mobiles. Good mobile habits with clear usage rules can help the problem, says Telenor.

These figures emerged in a recent survey about children and mobile use conducted by InFact on behalf of Telenor. The survey questioned people who care for children who have their own mobile phone.

Women in charge of mobiles
More women than men monitor their kids' mobile use. 66 per cent of women believe that control of mobile use is important compared with 52 per cent of men.

'All parents ought to actively participate in their children's mobile everyday lives. Parental supervision helps to keep children safe and aware as mobile users, while also providing parents with an overview and control of what the phone is used for,' says Bjørn Ivar Moen, Head of Telenor's Mobile division.

Breaking the law
The survey also uncovered that 37 per cent of parents do not have control of how much time their kids spend using their mobile phones.

'Talk to your kids about what is a reasonable time to use their mobile phone. Have some rules about when it is not okay to get out their phone. For example, in my house we have a rule that no mobile phones can be on the table during mealtimes,' says the Head of the Mobile Division at Telenor.

Moen believes that a thorough conversation about mobiles should be obligatory in every household containing smartphones and children.

'The rules that apply in the real world also apply to mobile use. Bullying and harassment via a mobile phone is actually illegal by law. It is also against Norwegian law to take photos of someone else and publish them or show them to others without consent of the subject. Teach your child good mobile manners,' Moen encourages.

Control costs
When it comes to money, parents are more unified. Almost eight out of ten state that it is important to have control of their children's mobile costs, but it is parents aged 35 years and older who are most focused on this issue.

'It's a little surprising that 44 per cent of parents under 34 years old believe their children's mobile costs are unimportant.' For parents aged 35-49 years old, the equivalent percentage is 8 per cent. It is both smart and actually not all that difficult for a family to have limit and predictability when it comes to mobile costs.

'At the same time, 57 per cent replied yes to the question about whether their kids' mobile bills got discussed in the home. It's therefore obvious that mobile costs incurred by the family's little ones are a subject that many parents are concerned by,' says Moen.

Better control using Telenor's services
Telenor has several solutions that offer parents better opportunities to control and monitor their children's mobile use and costs, including Sikkert Barn (Safe Child) and Mobbefilter (Anti-Bullying Filter). The services are available free of charge.

Sikkert Barn includes:
• Permanent block for SMS services, such as ringtones, games or information services.
• Permanent block for Teletorg premium rate numbers (820 xx xxx and 829 xx xxx), and a block on calls to foreign numbers or while roaming abroad.
• Opt out of information services and directory listings.
• You can choose to block SMS services completely, or set a monthly spend limit.
• Permanent block against use of mobile internet or MMS messaging.

With Mobbefilter your child won't receive unwanted messages.
• The anti-bullying filter stops new messages and notifies the sender by SMS that he/she has been blocked from sending messages to your child.
• It costs nothing to install or use the anti-bullying filter.
• If your child receives messages of a bullying nature, these should be saved and shown to parents/guardians.

Facts
The survey questioned people who care for children who have their own mobile phone.
• Do you have rules about what your children can use their mobile for?
Yes: 55.6 No: 34.4 Unsure: 10.1
• Are you in control of how much time your children spend using their mobile?
Yes: 41.5 No: 37.0 Unsure: 21.5
• Are the children's mobile phone bills paid by the adults or the children themselves (all figures are percentages)?
Paid by adult: 87.3 Paid by child: 6.2 Bit of both: 5.5 Don't know: 1.0
• Are the children's mobile phone bills discussed in the home?
Yes: 56.9 No: 39.6 Unsure: 3.6
• Do you know what your children's mobile subscription costs on a monthly basis?
Yes: 82.1 No: 17.9
• What kind of mobile subscription do your children have?
Pay As You Go: 22.5 Subscription with spend limit/block: 29 Normal subscription: 44.8 Don't know: 3.7
• Are you in control of how much time your children spend using their mobile?
Yes: 41.4 No: 36.8 Unsure: 21.8 

Source: InFact

For further information, please contact:
Anders Krokan, PR Manager at Telenor Norway.
Tel.: +47 952 09 037, Email: anders.krokan@telenor.com