6 takeaways about how parents monitor their teens digital activities
Parents have long faced the dilemma of when to step back and when to take a more hands-on approach with their kids. Technology has added a new wrinkle to that problem: Today's parents must navigate how, when and to what extent they oversee their teens' online and mobile activities.
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Many parents know the passwords to their teen's various accounts and devices, but knowing your teen's log-in information is not universal. Nearly half (48%) of parents say they know the password to their teen's email account while 43% are privy to their teen's cellphone password. Fewer parents – 35% – say they know the password to at least one of their teen's social media accounts.
Some parents take the additional step of friending or following their teen on social media. Some 44% of parents are friends with their teen on Facebook, while one-in-ten report following their teen on Twitter. In total, 56% of parents are connected with their teen on Facebook, Twitter or some other social media platform.
Nearly all parents have talked with their teen about how to behave on the web, including more than nine-in ten who have discussed what is appropriate to share online (94%), what constitutes appropriate online behavior towards others (92%) and what is appropriate content for teens to view online (95%).
Whether or not parents frequently discuss acceptable conduct with their teen varies by a number of demographic characteristics. For example, mothers are more likely than fathers to report talking frequently with their teen about appropriate online and offline behavior. There are also differences based on household income. Across the five types of conversations measured, parents who are less affluent are more likely than those from higher-income households to have these regular conversations. And Hispanic parents (51%) are more likely than white (32%) or black (32%) parents to frequently speak with their teen about their online behavior towards others.
