Today in Washington, D.C., the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI), with support from Microsoft and other companies, released the findings of a new survey on the use of parental controls that found that 53
percent of parents say they have used parental controls for their children’s Internet use.
That finding of 53 percent closely tracks with other recent surveys:
- A 2009 University of Michigan survey found 49 percent of parents use parental controls.
- A 2009 survey from Trend Micro found 55 percent use parental controls.
- A 2005 Pew Internet Life survey also recorded 55 percent.
While almost half of all parents aren’t using parental controls, a reassuring 93 percent say they have set rules or limits to monitor their children’s online usage, according to the survey:
These rules include requiring children to only use the computer in a certain area of the house (79 percent), limiting the amount of time a child can spend online (75 percent), setting rules for the times of day a child can be online (74 percent), and establishing time limits for use of a child’s cell phone (59 percent).
The press release for the survey quotes Microsoft’s Kim Sanchez:
“Access to the Internet and all it offers is crucial for preparing today’s youth for the 21st century,” said Kim Sanchez, Chairman of the FOSI Board of Directors and Director of Privacy and Online Safety at Microsoft Corporation. “The survey results are encouraging because parents believe they have the tools necessary for their children to safely navigate the digital world.”
There’s also a nice InfoGraphic from the research: