Parenting is difficult, and the internet has made it tougher than ever. Knowing who your children are speaking with and what they’re doing is important, but the ever-evolving technical landscape and children’s rising technical literacy can make it hard to stay on top of things, especially with their digital lives.
At the same time, technology has given parents more tools than ever to keep an eye on what their kids are doing. But how many parents actually take advantage of these tools? What’s the line between tracking and spying?
To get a better understanding of how people monitor their children in our increasingly digital age, All About Cookies surveyed parents to see how many check up on their kids’ online activity, real-world locations and more.
Key findings:
- 80% of parents check their children’s location, including 54% who check it frequently. More than one in three parents do it without letting their children know.
- 54% of parents monitor their kids’ texts and 76% of parents have access to their children’s phone password.
- The majority of parents (64%) have caught their children doing something they shouldn’t because of tracking.
- 76% of parents say tracking their kids on and offline behaviors has led kids to make better choices.
How parents track their kids online
The internet offers global access to information and perspectives, but not everyone online acts with good intentions. This is why many parents monitor their kids’ digital activities.
Most parents track things like text messages, social media, screen time, financial accounts, browsing history, emails and gaming activity. Over half report regularly checking messaging and social media accounts using tools like phone monitoring apps.
The reasons for monitoring highlight the challenges of parenting in the digital age. Parents aim to protect kids from harm, including online dangers like scams and identity theft. Apps like TikTok, Discord and WhatsApp, while popular, can expose kids to phishing scams.
Identity theft is a growing concern, as nearly 1 in 50 children is affected. Kids may not have financial assets, but their personal information, like social security numbers, is valuable for thieves to commit fraud, secure loans, or claim government benefits.
Parental password controls
Our survey also found that knowing children’s passwords is a key element to online tracking for many parents. More than half of parents (59%) say they know the passwords for their children’s social media accounts, while more than two-thirds (68%) know their children’s email passwords and more than three-quarters of parents (76%) know how to unlock their children’s cell phones.
Between their own digital lives and their kids’, this is a lot to keep track of. By using a password manager, parents can keep a log of user names and passwords which can automate some of the login process and securely store data. Some password managers geared for families also include monitoring services that help guard against identity theft or other vulnerabilities for multiple family members.
How parents track kids’ locations
Most parents use some form of location tracking, with two-thirds also reviewing their childโs driving history. The most common method is built-in phone features like Find My on iPhones or Find My Device on Androids, used by 58% of parents. Similarly, 53% rely on family tracking apps like Life360 or Glympse.
Interestingly, 39% of parents donโt inform their children that their location is being trackedโa higher percentage than those who monitor online activities without disclosure.
Methodology
All About Cookies surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults via the Pollfish platform in July 2024. Answers were limited to respondents with children under the age of 18.
This story was produced by All About Cookies and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media.
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