New data gathered and released by New York-based Atlas VPN, has revealed over 66 percent of parents across the world are not aware that their children are facing regular cyberbullying.
The data shows that these parents are not monitoring their children’s time spent on social media, even as Scientists at BMC Public Health found that using social media for longer than 2 hours per day increases the risk of cyberbullying.
“Statistics on parental control over media consumption show that only 34% of parents limit time spent on social media. Research also shows a positive correlation between time spent on social media and the chance of being cyberbullied,” it noted.
The Department of Guidance and Psychological Counseling shows that kids spending 8.5 hours on screen per day end up cyberbullied, feeling lonely or angry.
Rachel Welsh, COO of Atlas VPN, expressed her concern on social media damage to children, saying: “Being a helicopter parent is not a good idea, but leading your child towards a safer internet usage is a must. There are many browser add-ons that can be used to block or limit time on certain websites. Moreover, parents should consider limiting screen time to 2 hours per day.”
Highlights of the report:
- 66% of parents are not aware their child might be getting bullied online.
- Children are spending more than 8 hours per day online, which leads to cyberbullying loneliness or anger issues.
- In 2019, every fourth middle and high school student encountered mean or hateful comments about them online.
- The “likes” function on social media makes kids lose their true identity.
- How parents should prevent the above-mentioned issues.
