With today’s children growing up more digitally savvy than ever, mums and dads are faced with a whole new challenge in the home: the rise of digi-parenting.
New Zealand is made up of more than 1.14 million households and for many of these families, technology plays an ever-increasing role in the daily household routine.
Vodafone Consumer Director Matt Williams says they are seeing data usage growing across their networks by 7% every month, driven by streaming services such as Lightbox and Neon as well as music, YouTube videos and more.
Today, Vodafone research shows that the typical Kiwi family has at least five (if not more) devices connected to the internet. By the age of 6, 78% of kids are using the internet, and 63% of 5-10 year olds use internet-enabled devices.
So what does all this mean for parents?
“Our research shows that families are desperate to simplify their lives, but at the same time they’re grappling with the role technology plays in their family and how they can keep their kids safe,” Mr Williams said.
Over half of parents monitor what their kids are looking at online, and 70% of parents say they’re concerned about app security.
To help parents with this “digital shift”, Vodafone has launched an online parenting hub (digi-parenting.co.nz) with practical tips, tricks and guides. The hub was set up in partnership with The Parenting Place and NetSafe and is part of a range of family-oriented services from Vodafone.
“On the hub, we explore questions like how to protect kids online, what sites are suitable for kids and what acronyms like POS (Parent Over Shoulder) mean,” says Dave Atkinson, The Parenting Place youth specialist.
“We’re excited about growing parents’ confidence and equipping families with the knowledge they need to use technology in a safe and positive way.”
Sources:
Census 2013, CMI Nielsen panel
Vodafone UK Research (2013) Mobile is at the heart of the family. Digital Parenting Magazine
Vodafone NZ Research (2014) U&A study
