{"id":94884,"date":"2012-11-20T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2012-11-20T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/2012\/11\/20\/parents-teens-and-online-privacy-2\/"},"modified":"2024-04-14T04:13:15","modified_gmt":"2024-04-14T09:13:15","slug":"parents-teens-and-online-privacy-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2012\/11\/20\/parents-teens-and-online-privacy-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Parents, Teens, and Online Privacy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" align=\"center\"> <strong> <em>81% of parents of online teens say they are concerned about how much information advertisers can learn about their child\u2019s online behavior; 46% are \u201cvery\u201d concerned<\/em> <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" align=\"center\"> <strong> <em>69% of parents worry about the impact of their children\u2019s online activity on their academic and job prospects; 44% are \u201cvery\u201d concerned<\/em> <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WASHINGTON (November 20, 2012)\u00a0\u2014 Most parents of teenagers are concerned about what their teenage children do online and how their behavior could be monitored by others. Some parents are taking steps to observe, discuss, and check up on their children\u2019s digital footprints, according to a new survey\u00a0 by the Pew Research Center\u2019s Internet &amp; American Life Project. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among the survey\u2019s key findings:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>81% of parents of online teens say they are concerned about how much information advertisers can learn about their child\u2019s online behavior, with some 46% being \u201cvery\u201d concerned.<\/li>\n<li>72% of parents of online teens are concerned about how their child interacts online with people they do not know, with some 53% of parents being \u201cvery\u201d concerned.<\/li>\n<li>69% of parents of online teens are concerned about how their child\u2019s online activity might affect their future academic or employment opportunities, with some 44% being \u201cvery\u201d concerned about that.<\/li>\n<li>69% of parents of online teens are concerned about how their child manages his or her reputation online, with some 49% being \u201cvery\u201d concerned about that.<\/li>\n<li>Some of these expressions of concern are particularly acute for the parents of younger teens; 63% of parents of teens ages 12-13 say they are \u201cvery\u201d concerned about their child\u2019s interactions with people they do not know online and 57% say they are \u201cvery\u201d concerned about how their child manages his or her reputation online.\u00a0 <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere is a growing policy discussion about how government should act in an environment where personal information\u2014about both children and adults\u2014is widely collected, analyzed and shared as a new form of currency in the digital economy,\u201d said Mary Madden, Research Associate for the Project and a co-author of the report. \u201cParents are anxious about a wide range of online risks for their children, but it is particularly striking that their current level of worry about data collection by advertisers meets or exceeds other concerns about their child\u2019s online activity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A notable number of parents, especially parents of younger teens, are taking steps to act on these concerns:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>59% of the parents of teen users of social networking sites (SNS) have talked with their child because they were concerned about something posted to their profile or account. (That translates to 46% of parents of all online teens.)<\/li>\n<li>39% of the parents of teen users of SNS have helped their child set up privacy settings for a social networking site. (That translates to 31% of parents of all online teens.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to such direct interventions, some parents are monitoring their children on family computers and in online searches:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>50% of parents of online teens (not just the teens who use SNS) have used parental controls or other means of blocking, filtering, or monitoring their child\u2019s online activities\u2014a number that has remained almost unchanged since last year.<\/li>\n<li>42% of parents of online teens have searched for their child\u2019s name online to see what information is available about him or her.<\/li>\n<li>In addition to these activities, 44% of parents of online teens say they have taken the step of reading the privacy policies of websites or social networking sites that their child is using. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The survey also finds that a growing number of parents are becoming social media users themselves: <\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>66% of all parents who have a child between the ages of 12-17, say they use a social networking site, up from 58% in 2011.\u00a0 <\/li>\n<li>There is great variation according to the parent\u2019s age; 82% of parents under age 40 say they use SNS, while only 61% of parents over age 40 use the sites.<\/li>\n<li>Mothers and fathers are equally likely to use SNS, but parents who are college-educated exhibit higher levels of engagement with social media. \u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While parents may forge connections with their teens on social media in order to passively observe them, many are also actively engaging with their children and making their presence known. Half (50%) of parents who use social media (and who also have teens who use the sites) say they have commented or responded directly to something that was posted to their child\u2019s profile or account. Mothers and fathers of children of all ages and across all demographic groups are equally as likely to engage with their child\u2019s profile in this way. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTeens, in turn, have mixed feelings about being friends with their parents on social networking sites like Facebook. Some teens like the fact that they are friends with their family members. Other young users prefer not to friend their parents, but do it anyway because it is expected from them. And yet others keep their profiles secret or restrict parents\u2019 access to information,\u201d said Sandra Cortesi, Director of the Youth and Media Project at the Berkman Center and a contributor to this report.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The findings of the study are detailed in a new report called, \u201cParents, Teens and Online Privacy\u201d that is the result of a collaboration between the Pew Internet Project and the Berkman Center for Internet &amp; Society at Harvard University. The data are based on a nationally representative phone survey of 802 parents and their 802 teens ages 12-17, conducted between July 26 and September 30, 2012. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish and on landline and cell phones. The margin of error for the full sample is \u00b1 4.5 percentage points. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This report includes quotes gathered through a series of exploratory in-person focus group interviews about privacy and digital media conducted by the Berkman Center\u2019s Youth and Media Lab between May and December 2011. The team conducted 16 focus group interviews with roughly 120 students.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">About the Pew Research Center\u2019s Internet &amp; American Life Project <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/About-Us.aspx\">Pew Research Center\u2019s Internet &amp; American Life Project<\/a> is one of seven projects that make up the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan, nonprofit &#8220;fact tank&#8221; that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. The Project produces reports exploring the impact of the Internet on families, communities, work and home, daily life, education, health care, and civic and political life. The Project aims to be an authoritative source on the evolution of the Internet through surveys that examine how Americans use the Internet and how their activities affect their lives.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">About the Berkman Center for Internet &amp; Society<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cyber.law.harvard.edu\/\">Berkman Center for Internet &amp; Society at Harvard University<\/a> is a research program founded to recognize, study, and engage the most difficult problems of the digital age and to share in their resolution in ways that advance the public interest. Founded in 1997, through a generous gift from Jack N. and Lillian R. Berkman, the Center is home to an ever-growing community of faculty, fellows, staff, and affiliates. Fundamental to its work is the study of the relationship between digital technologies and democratic values, including civic participation, access to knowledge, and the free flow of information. More information can be found at http:\/\/cyber.law.harvard.edu.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Media contacts<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mary Madden: <a href=\"mailto:mmadden@pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\">mmadden@pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet<\/a> and 202-419-4515<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Parents have a range of concerns about how their children&rsquo;s online activities might affect their privacy and many have taken steps to monitor their children and encourage online 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