Guide to children's online world is launched for parents
A new guide to help parents understand their children's online world, and keep them safe, has been launched.
The new Vodafone Parents' Guide explains that parents may be using the internet to enhance their daily lives - emailing; shopping online, looking for holidays and joining social networking, for children it is much more.
It tells parents: 'For anyone under the age of 15, the internet has always been there - a fact of life, not a "new" technology.
'They're having fun, learning and socialising and it's second nature to them. Your children and teenagers are embracing the digital world.'
The site also explains:
52 per cent of nine year olds in the UK have a mobile, rising to 95 per cent of 15 year olds
12-15 year olds in the UK have an average of six media devices in their bedroom and often move seamlessly between them
33 per cent of UK parents set no social networking rules for their children.
Whilst at school children are taught with the aid of interactive whiteboards and computers, at home they can be downloading music; playing games on the internet or a console; chatting on social networking sites like Bebo, Facebook or MySpace; and publishing videos made on their mobiles on YouTube.
The guide looks at the kind of issues that exist for children of different ages, provides checklists for parents, explains what the different types of technology are, and gives advice on how to deal with a wide range of issues, such as cyberbullying, or what kind of mobile to buy for a child.
It explains: 'We've spoken to lots of parents about their families and the digital world and we know that it's fun but it's also complicated. Even if you're a fan of technology, your kids might be using it in very different ways to you.
'We explain the main technologies that children and young people in the UK are using and some of the great things they're doing with them. We also outline some of the potential challenges and risks they might face and offer guidance on how you can help your kids to avoid them.'