Irish most protective of children’s web use

IRISH parents are among the most protective in the EU when it comes to their children using the internet, a survey has revealed.

The Europe-wide study found they are least likely to allow their youngsters to give out personal information online, talk to strangers, visit chatrooms or use email or instant messaging.

They are also more inclined to limit the time their kids spend online.

Martin Territt, director of the European Commission Representation in Ireland, said it was good that Irish parents are wary of the dangers posed by the internet.

“While the internet is a fantastic resource for children to learn and develop their communication skills, adult supervision is needed,” said Mr Territt.

“One of the most positive findings of this survey is that Irish parents are among the most likely in the EU to talk to their children about what they do online,” he said.

“With eight out of 10 Irish children regularly using the internet, they need to be aware of potential dangers.”

The Eurobarometer survey was conducted in October among parents of 6-17 year olds across the EU and examined their views on internet safety. Some 500 Irish parents were questioned.

More than eight out of 10 Irish parents will not allow their children to buy items online and just over half have rules on what websites they can visit.

They are more lenient on downloading or playing music, films or games, only 30% have rules on this compared to 60% of Germans.

After the British, the Irish are most likely to have monitoring or filtering software on home computers; almost three quarters have this.

More than half of all Irish parents say they are worried their children might get information about self-harm, suicide or anorexia either on the internet (55%) or that they might be bullied by other children online (56%) or on their mobile (57%).

Almost two thirds of Irish parents worry their children might come across sexually explicit or violently explicit images on the internet.

Irish parents are also more likely to ask their children about their internet use on a regular basis.

They are also more likely to stay close by when their child is online at home or actually sit with them.

Of the children who use the internet, 88% do so at home although Irish children are the least likely to have their own computer.

Some 61% of Irish kids have their own mobile — just slightly below the EU average of 64%.