A new report from digital safety company Qustodio reveals a significant disconnect between parents’ preferences for their children’s technology use and actual usage patterns. The research, based on data from 400,000 families and survey responses from 2,000 parents, highlights growing tensions over screen time management and device access.
Digital Trust Gap Widens
The study finds that 83% of parents believe their children spend too much time on devices, while 66% state they don’t trust their children to monitor their own technology use. Despite 64% of parents saying they set good examples with their own device usage, two-thirds admit to spending more time on screens than they would prefer.
Source: Qustodio
Smartphone Age Creates Friction
The research identifies a notable disparity between when parents think children should receive smartphones and when they actually provide them. While only 9% of parents believe smartphone ownership is appropriate for children under 10, 16% report giving their children phones at that age. Similarly, 16% of parents think age 16 or older is appropriate for first smartphone ownership, but only 3% waited that long.
Source: Qustodio
Almost half (49%) of parents surveyed would change the age they gave their child their first smartphone, predominantly stating they would have waited longer. Primary concerns include:
Addiction risks
Lack of maturity
Excessive screen time
Exposure to inappropriate content
Mental health impacts
Peer pressure
Social Media Creates New Challenges
The study reveals similar tensions regarding social media access. Twenty-seven percent of parents believe 16 is the appropriate age for children to start using social media, while 18% prefer waiting until age 18. However, actual usage data shows significant social media engagement at younger ages:
Global average of 55 minutes daily on social platforms
Spanish children lead with 67 minutes daily
25% increase in Instagram usage compared to 2023
Average of 120 minutes daily spent on TikTok globally
Source: Qustodio
Safety Measures and Monitoring
Parents report employing multiple strategies to manage children’s technology use:
80% hold regular conversations about technology risks
76% remove devices during specific times
53% schedule tech-free periods
33% restrict device use to common spaces
31% engage in co-viewing or co-playing activities
The research indicates that parents increasingly turn to monitoring tools and restrictions as they navigate concerns about online safety. Seventy-three percent express extreme concern about sexual content exposure, making it the top safety concern among surveyed parents.
The findings suggest that while parents and children both engage heavily with digital technology, their perspectives on appropriate usage and safety measures often diverge. This disconnect creates ongoing challenges for families attempting to establish balanced digital habits.
Dragomir is a Serbian freelance blog writer and translator. He is passionate about covering insightful stories and exploring topics such as influencer marketing, the creator economy, technology, business, and cyber fraud.
A new report from digital safety company Qustodio reveals a significant disconnect between parents’ preferences for their children’s technology use and actual usage patterns. The research, based on data from 400,000 families and survey responses from 2,000 parents, highlights growing tensions over screen time management and device access.
Digital Trust Gap Widens
The study finds that 83% of parents believe their children spend too much time on devices, while 66% state they don’t trust their children to monitor their own technology use. Despite 64% of parents saying they set good examples with their own device usage, two-thirds admit to spending more time on screens than they would prefer.
Source: Qustodio
Smartphone Age Creates Friction
The research identifies a notable disparity between when parents think children should receive smartphones and when they actually provide them. While only 9% of parents believe smartphone ownership is appropriate for children under 10, 16% report giving their children phones at that age. Similarly, 16% of parents think age 16 or older is appropriate for first smartphone ownership, but only 3% waited that long.
Source: Qustodio
Almost half (49%) of parents surveyed would change the age they gave their child their first smartphone, predominantly stating they would have waited longer. Primary concerns include:
Social Media Creates New Challenges
The study reveals similar tensions regarding social media access. Twenty-seven percent of parents believe 16 is the appropriate age for children to start using social media, while 18% prefer waiting until age 18. However, actual usage data shows significant social media engagement at younger ages:
Source: Qustodio
Safety Measures and Monitoring
Parents report employing multiple strategies to manage children’s technology use:
The research indicates that parents increasingly turn to monitoring tools and restrictions as they navigate concerns about online safety. Seventy-three percent express extreme concern about sexual content exposure, making it the top safety concern among surveyed parents.
The findings suggest that while parents and children both engage heavily with digital technology, their perspectives on appropriate usage and safety measures often diverge. This disconnect creates ongoing challenges for families attempting to establish balanced digital habits.
Find the full report here.