Abstract:

Given the intensity and range of children's technology use, parents/grandparents cannot realistically be aware of, or understand the myriad of decisions children make every time they go online. This is particularly pertinent for parents with children aged 10-13 years, as this age group are often beginning to use the internet more independent of adult guidance. COVID-19 and the increase in online learning and lifestyle dramatically amplified this. This presentation reports on a study which asked how parents & grandparents meaningfully guide children's decision making in these transition years when we are not fully aware of children's online practices and thinking and how it relates to safety needs.

While the current e-safety literature is relevant, its applicability is minimal. The majority focuses on cyber bullying and depicts a strong narrative of scepticism and animosity in relation to students using technology. As Adorjan and Ricciardelli (2019, p. 430) state, “high school students are expected to have successfully internalized the directives for online safety received in earlier grades, and have acquired, to a greater or lesser extent, a sense of prudentialism and self-control.” It is concerning that there is “a low level of Digital Literacy and safety skills prevailed in the group of teachers who recently began their career in education (trainees)” (Tomczyk, 2019, p. 167). A further complication is that e-safety education for both groups was built on simpler pre-COVID-19 models of digital engagement and safety.

In 2023, qualitative data was collected from 32 diverse Australian families guiding the e-safety of children of this age group, with children and parents/grandparents interviewed separately to enable clearer insight into their experiences and to capture up-to-date decision-making (much of which will be a less visible aspect of children's internet use). Quantitative data from 500 families with children 10-13 years was also gathered during 2023 to provide up-to-date evidence of the online experiences and decision-making of this age group, across all aspects of their home internet use. This presentation reports on the responses specifically from the parents/grandparents, with responses from the children shared in other work.

Results showed that COVID-19 disrupted and changed children’s technology use dramatically. Pressure from the child, work/career and other parents resulted in children using the internet in ways the parents often did not feel comfortable with, resulting in a disconnect between the experiences and views of children and parents/grandparents around what parts of e-safety they are encountering, that should be taught, and where priorities should be allocated. While children tend to focus on their own actions online, parents focus more on the actions of children that they have read/heard about. Additionally, parents reported that they felt a large amount of peer pressure to match digital experiences with other children from their children, other children, and/or fellow parents. Conclusively, there is an urgent need for greater digital literacy to enhance the safety of young people in the future.

References:
[1] Adorjan, M., & Ricciardelli, R. (2019). Student perspectives towards school responses to cyber- risk and safety: the presumption of the prudent digital citizen. Learning, Media and Technology, 44(4), 430-442.
[2] Tomczyk, L. (2019) What Do Teachers Know About Digital Safety?, Computers in the Schools, 36:3, 167-187.

Keywords:

Digital safety, digital literacy, digital wellbeing, digital habits, ICT skills.