Survey reveals Filipino parents confident in engaging children in online safety
MANILA, Philippines — This generation of kids is lucky. They have the internet to turn to for research work. They do not need to spend hours in the library pouring over volumes of books, which have to be located by going through index cards on the subject.
With the convenience of accessing information, however, comes the ever-present danger of children being exposed to inappropriate content and internet fraud. They need to be made aware of the danger lurking on the web so they do not fall prey to any of them. It is best to keep them safe by blocking off those sites.
The good news is that, according to Google’s latest Online Safety Survey, the majority of parents in the Philippines (87.4%) are confident in engaging their child on the topic of online safety.
However, parents are finding it increasingly challenging to keep up, with 53.2% of Filipino parents having difficulty finding the right time to talk about online safety with their children. This is an increase from just 40% recorded in 2022.
At the same time, digital ground rules are changing as their child grows up: 71.1% of parents in the Philippines expect to change their rules for their child's internet use as their child gets older.
As part of its commitment and mission to make the internet safer for people all over, Google has a variety of useful features to improve the online experiences of children and parents alike.
Making Google Search safer and more age-appropriate
This year’s survey showed that the most common online safety issue for children is seeing inappropriate content online, happening at least once to 61% of children (compared to 54% last year). This is followed by seeing misinformation, deceptive ads or spam, and violent content.
The good news is parents can turn to the easy-to-use solutions by Google with “Family Link.” They can also use another useful feature in “SafeSearch,” which is on by default for signed-in users under 18 and helps filter inappropriate, explicit and mature content. Its new blurring setting, which is now available to everyone, automatically blurs explicit imagery — such as adult or graphic violent content — by default when it appears in Search results.
Setting online ground rules
As children grow older, parents may need to adjust their digital ground rules. According to the survey, 69% of parents in Asia Pacific plan to change their house rules with time, and 49% will allow their children to spend more time online as they age.
The majority of these parents use technology to support their children's education, help them explore their interests, and find high-quality educational content, while at the same time ensuring their online safety.
Parents are also learning how to use technology to keep up. For example, apps like ”Family Link” allow parents to easily set digital ground rules and manage screen time.
Providing safer online exploration
Google has products that easily turn the internet into a great environment for learning.
For example, “YouTube Kids” provides a more contained and curated environment for kids to explore on YouTube, making it easier for parents and caregivers to guide that process. Meanwhile, supervised experience on YouTube becomes handy, allowing parents who have decided that their tween or teen is ready to explore more of YouTube to do so through a supervised Google Account.
With exploration of the internet also comes the vulnerability to online fraud. Parents across Asia Pacific also flagged concerns around their children oversharing information on social media (45% at least once) and receiving unwanted attention from strangers (38% at least once). That’s why, in addition to using technology with built-in protection, it’s crucial to educate children through resources like the free digital literacy curriculum “Be Internet Awesome.”
Embracing technology with guardrails for safe, reliable content and also empowering kids to make informed decisions are essential in today’s digital parenting. Parents can help their children stay safe and thrive in the online world with the assistance of technology like Google.
