MOST CHILDREN believe their parents do nothing to encourage them to be safe online, yet most parents are confident their children are taking the necessary precautions, a new survey has found.
The Microsoft MSN survey of more than 14,000 people in Europe, including 556 in Ireland, found that 66 per cent of children said their parents did nothing to limit or control their internet use.
The corresponding figure for Ireland was 62 per cent. Just 7 per cent of Irish children said their parents used online controls or filtering software to block websites. This was one of the lowest figures in Europe. Some 14 per cent of Swedish children surveyed said parental controls were used to block websites.
The response of parents surveyed did not tally with the views of children. Some 73 per cent of Irish parents said they took actions to limit or control their children’s internet use and a quarter of parents said they used online parental controls or filtering software.
Placing the computer in the living room was the action most commonly cited by Irish parents (29 per cent) to control their children’s internet use.
The research was launched by Microsoft Ireland yesterday to mark Safer Internet Day, which takes place across Europe today. Microsoft Ireland said the research had shown “worrying gaps” in teenagers’ online safety awareness and internet education.
Some 66 per cent of Irish children said it was safe to put personal information on blogs and social networking sites. Just 48 per cent of children in Europe felt this was a safe practice.
Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe took part in a Microsoft internet safety session in Scoil Mhuire in Ballincollig, Co Cork yesterday to highlight internet safety.
Microsoft is running an online safety programme in primary schools with the National Council for Technology in Education (NCTE) and the Garda Síochána.
Mr O’Keeffe said he was finalising a programme with the NCTE for the Junior Cert curriculum that would raise awareness of internet safety. He also encouraged parents to closely monitor their children’s internet habits.
Paul Rellis, managing director of Microsoft Ireland, said the advent of social media had created a world of sophisticated web users, “but our children and young people still need guidance on what personal information can be safely shared online”.
