ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- National PTA today released
the results of a national survey and listening
sessions exploring parents' mindsets on the internet and
digital media. The survey and listening sessions, which
included parents and guardians with children in grades K-12 in
public schools, were conducted by Edge Research. National PTA
commissioned the research as part of the five-year anniversary of
the association's PTA Connected initiative.
Key findings of the survey and listening sessions show:
- Parents are conflicted when it comes to the internet and
digital media. They understand its value and the role it plays
in their children's lives. However, they also see its potential
dangers and negative impacts. This tension lies at the core of how
parents try to navigate online safety.
- Middle school represents the "launch pad" for increased
access to social media and other platforms. However,
parents allow a great deal of digital interaction when their
children are in elementary school (or younger). As digital media
usage increases as children reach high school, parent monitoring of
their children's digital activities decreases significantly.
- Although parents believe they can identify appropriate
content—and they trust their children online—they are open to
assistance. Majorities of parents indicated in the survey
they would support having resources shared with their children to
help with online safety, and over eight-in-ten parents reported
they would be at least somewhat interested in guidance on what
mental health services are available to help with issues their
child may be having online.
"Children and youth are increasingly online, and while the
internet is a space for fostering learning, creativity and
community, it also presents unique risks. The findings of our
survey and listening sessions demonstrate that parents are
grappling with the benefits of the internet and digital media and
managing their children's online activities and internet use," said
Yvonne Johnson, president of
National PTA.
In the survey...
- 31% of parents reported they believe overall the internet has a
mostly positive impact on children, 27% of parents reported they
believe overall the internet has a mostly negative impact on
children and 42% of parents were somewhere in the middle.
- When asked where internet safety ranks among a series of other
parent worries, 65% of parents surveyed indicated they worry a lot
or somewhat about their child's safety online, and 60% of parents
surveyed indicated they worry a lot or somewhat about the impact of
technology use and the internet on their child's well-being.
These worries top parents' concerns, ranking higher than worries
about their child experiencing stress, anxiety or depression; their
child experiencing violence or being bullied at school; and their
child being behind academically for their grade level, among other
worries.
Additional findings show that ...
- Among concerns pertaining to their child's safety online,
communicating with adults they don't know online tops parents'
concerns, with 57% of parents surveyed reporting they are concerned
about this. When it comes to activities their children participate
in online, most parents report their children watching videos,
watching TV and gaming, with 86%, 73% and 65% of parents reporting
these activities, respectively.
- While 71% of parents reported in the survey that they trust
their own child to make good choices online, only 35% of parents
reported they trust other children who interact with their
child online to make good choices, and 63% of parents reported it
is too easy for teens/tweens to get around parental controls.
- 63% of parents reported they monitor their child's online or
digital activities extremely or pretty closely. However, less than
half (47%) of parents of high school students indicated they
monitor their child's online activities to the same degree.
- When it comes to ways they monitor and manage their child's
online activities and internet use, 65% of parents reported they
talk to their child about their online activities and 51% of
parents reported they set limits for screen time.
When comparing parents' perspectives with data from teens and
tweens themselves gathered by Boston Children's Digital Wellness
Lab, the findings of the research suggest that parents do not have
a realistic picture of their children's online activities.
- Only 7% of parents of children in middle school and 8% of
parents of children in high school reported in the survey that
their child had made plans to meet up with someone they met
online.
- Only 13% of parents of children in middle school and high
school reported their children have communicated with children they
don't know online.
- On the other hand, 50% of teens and tweens have reported
they would likely get together with friends they met online, and
almost three-in-ten teens and tweens consider people they have
never met in person but met online as friends.
While parents reported in the survey that they feel most
responsible for their child's online safety (89%), most parents
(60%) reported that they would like guidance or support when it
comes to helping keep their child safe online, especially parents
of children in elementary school (64%). Most parents also reported
they would be likely to go to their child's school, counselor
and/or teachers for guidance in this arena, with 68%, 70% and 69%
of parents choosing these sources, respectively. Additionally,
parents indicated in the focus groups that they feel schools should
help them monitor and protect their children online since schools
often provide students with devices on which to do school or
homework or assign work that requires going online.
"These findings provide valuable insight into parents' concerns
and perspectives around the internet and digital media and as our
association looks ahead to where we go in the next five years with
our PTA Connected initiative," added Nathan
R. Monell, CAE, National PTA executive director. "National
PTA remains committed to making sure families' voices and
perspectives are heard and included and to providing the knowledge,
tools and resources families need to make the best decisions for
their children. And we are committed to helping children act
safely, responsibly and thoughtfully online to create a kinder,
more inclusive online community for all."
About PTA Connected
National PTA launched its PTA
Connected initiative in 2018 to formalize and build on the
association's work in the digital space in response to the growing
needs and interest of parents nationwide. Through the initiative,
National PTA has been focused on digital access and equity, digital
safety and well-being, digital literacy and data privacy. With the
generous support of corporate funders, National PTA has awarded
over $1.5 million dollars in funding
to PTAs across the country to help them host PTA Connected events
in their school communities, helping thousands of families
understand digital issues affecting their children; have open,
honest and ongoing conversations about digital safety and
citizenship; and connecting them with tools research and support to
help them make the best decisions for their households. The events
have also facilitated community discussions, fostering
collaboration and knowledge sharing among parents. To learn more
about PTA Connected, visit PTA.org/Connected and watch this
video spotlighting the past five years of the initiative.
About the Survey
The online survey was conducted by
Edge Research among a nationwide sample of 1,415 parents and
guardians with children in grades K-12 in public school. The
survey, fielded in English and Spanish, included oversamples of
Latino/a parents, representing a mix of acculturation levels, and
Black parents. Data were weighted to be representative of
public-school parents in the U.S. The survey was fielded
May 6-23, 2024.
About the Listening Sessions
Three 90-minute-long
listening sessions were conducted in February 2024, including one with parents of
children in grades K-5, one with parents of children in grades 6-8
and one with parents of children in grades 9-12. Listening session
participants represented a mix of gender, race and ethnicity. The
listening sessions were designed to serve as a companion to the
national survey to bring the survey to life with stories, verbatims
and observations that capture where parents are at this moment in
time.
About National PTA
National
PTA® comprises millions of families, students,
teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders
devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of
family engagement in schools. PTA is a registered 501(c)(3)
nonprofit association that prides itself on being a powerful voice
for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities,
and a strong advocate for public education. Membership in PTA is
open to anyone who wants to be involved and make a difference for
the education, health, and welfare of children and youth. For more
information, visit PTA.org.
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SOURCE National PTA