In the past five years, the smartphone revolution has moved from the domain of the few to a universally used and useful tool. However, with its ubiquity comes a challenge - many parents will provide their children with 'hand-me-down' phones, in the same way as clothes are passed between siblings. These parents frequently trust that children apply the same rules to the online world as they do to the physical world.
Unfortunately, whilst these small computers can be a fantastic device for children, they also present their own problems; parents often have very little idea about what kind of content is being accessed on smartphones. And as we all know, harmful content is all too prevalent and all too freely available on the internet, and there is occasionally too little education for children about avoiding harmful content online.
According to our most recent Global Security Insights in Mobile report (GSIM V) approximately 17% of UK children aged 8-15 now have a smartphone, and over half of parents today believe that the smartphone is the most difficult electronic device (above laptops and PCs) to patrol. Unfortunately, cyberbullying, sexting, obscene images and harmful content is all too frequently available with very few access limitations, making it absolutely vital for operators, parents and industry bodies to collaborate on finding a solution to this issue.
In addition, children today are much more tech-savvy than their parents so have the ability to bypass controls, leaving many parents feeling completely isolated and powerless against mobile threats. And it's not just smartphones that are a concern - with many devices now being internet enabled, such as Wiis, Xboxes and other gaming devices, the risks facing children and their parents are growing in number and complexity.
What is clear is that parents are concerned about the threats, and the majority feel it is their duty to protect their children when using smartphones, but they don't feel they have the information or the tools to help them. The use of parental controls is currently much more widespread on home PCs and laptops and although 95% would like to use some form of control on their children's smartphones, only 13% of parents are currently using them.
Parents need flexible, individualised controls - they don't want to put a blanket ban on mobile usage or ignore the risks as these extreme reactions won't enable their kids to maximise the great opportunities presented by mobile devices. The ability to adapt control of mobile usage as children mature, as any parent would do in the real world, is an ideal scenario for parents. They want to be able to protect an 8-year-old differently from a 15-year-old. Giving them the flexibility to manage the services available on their children's handsets from their own phone is one way that parents can start to do this, whilst not restricting their freedom.
The news is, of course, not all bad. Parents must remember that they are not alone in this situation; there is awealth of supporting resources which they can draw upon to help them. Operators should view this as an opportunity to educate, support and build trust withtheir customers, and parents should take full advantage of tools, guidance and communities to help them make what are indisputably difficult decisions anddiscussions to have in today's world.
However, if our children are to be completely protected, it is imperative that we work together, balancing education and technological usage to overcome the challenge of mobile threats and ensure that the smartphone enhances, rather than detracts from, our lives and the lives of our children.