Heaps of laundry on the floor, biscuit crumbs in the bed and toys in every corner – parents know child’s room clutter all too well. But digitally, the offspring also seem to be developing into slouches: every tenth child has an average of between 51 and 80 apps on their smartphone or tablet, and among six to twelve-year-olds every seventh child is already an app messie.
With serious consequences: Apps that are no longer used or are outdated, for example, are not deleted and become a high security risk. Applications such as Snapchat and Roblox are also a thorn in the side of concerned parents when it comes to suitability for children.
From the security glasses rightly so, because a lot of content is only insufficiently checked and minors can easily come across disturbing, racist, violent or otherwise harmful content. This is all the more alarming given that three quarters of 12 to 18 year olds use Snapchat, for example. These are among other things the results of a current representative study by YouGov on behalf of the IT security manufacturer ESET, for which more than 2,100 parents with children up to the age of 18 were interviewed.
“’Clean up!’ We know this sentence from annoyed mothers and fathers when it comes to messy children’s rooms. But even in the digital space there is often chaos when apps are involved,” says Ildikó Bruhns, project manager of the Safer Kids Online initiative. “A lot of apps are piling up on younger kids’ devices alone. The problem: Applications that are no longer used or are outdated, orphaned accounts, too many access rights, more memory requirements, possible hidden functions or malware – apps are serious insecurity factors. This also coincides with the findings of the NRW consumer center and a survey by the police crime prevention of the federal states and the BSI.
The older, the more messy
The passion for collecting apps obviously increases with age. On average, every tenth child is already an app messie, even in the age group between six and twelve years, every sixth child has 51 to 80 applications. 37 percent of three to six-year-olds can already access up to 20 apps, almost every fifth person in the age group between 21 and 50 apps. The next age group between six and twelve years has 51 to 80 applications. Teenagers up to the age of 15 have between 81 and 100 apps installed on their smartphones or tablets. The teenagers are not surprising: the 15 to under 18 year olds have more than 100 apps on their devices. In numbers this means:
- One in six six to twelve year olds has 51 to 80 apps at their disposal
- Every ninth 12 to 15 year old has 51 to 80 apps installed
- Every tenth 12 to 15 year old has 81 to 100 apps
- Every eighth 15 to under 18 year old has saved more than 100 apps
However, collecting apps has its pitfalls, not least because it becomes a source of uncertainty if applications are not checked from time to time and updates are not installed regularly. In addition, apps that parents consider suitable for children do not always end up on the children’s devices, as the results of the survey show.
Popular apps fail parents’ child suitability tests
In particular, parents consider the most popular apps in the survey, such as Snapchat and Roblox, to be child-friendly. Even though the photo and video app Snapchat is used by more than one in five children, 29 percent of mothers and fathers complain that it is unsuitable for offspring in general, especially for children between the ages of seven and 13. The game platform Roblox, which ranks second in the survey of the most popular apps, is also considered unsuitable for children by one in five parents on average. In the age group between seven and 13 years, the app is even criticized by every fourth adult. Nevertheless, they are used by 34 percent of children between the ages of six and twelve and 29 percent of those aged twelve to 15.
However, when it comes to observing screen time, mothers and fathers place a lot of trust in their offspring: 44 percent have very high to high trust that agreed rules will be followed. A third believe only partially and one in eight has little or no faith, especially in adolescents and teenagers. Even when trust is high, more than a quarter of parents still use safety measures such as limiting time online. Just as many parents want to talk to their offspring about internet safety. But child protection programs and website blocking are also higher on the agenda of mums and dads, especially among 6-12 year olds.
Tips for more order on smartphones, tablets & Co.
- Do a little spring cleaning regularly: Declutter apps from your and your child’s device. Delete any you don’t need. Not only does it free up storage space, it also reduces the number of distracting or inappropriate apps.
- Check app usage: Keep track of which apps your child uses and how much time they spend on each one. This is also the only way you can rethink and adjust rules and limits for app usage and screen time.
- Set clear rules and boundaries: Agree on clear rules for app usage and screen time, e.g. in a media usage agreement.
- Be a good example: Limit your own screen time and implement, for example, one internet safety lesson per week. They can update their devices and keep themselves up to date on risks and the like.
- Use a mobile security solution: A good security app checks the applications before they are downloaded and fends off all types of cyber attacks. We recommend solutions that also recognize fake e-mails (phishing) and contain theft protection in the event of loss.
www.eset.com/de
