Context: Indian children have the highest online risk exposure and are among the youngest to reach mobile maturity, reveals a new study by McAfee Corp, a global leader in online protection. 

• The report titled ‘Life behind the screens of parents, tweens, and teens’ explains how those most vulnerable may be left under-protected.

Key Findings

• A study conducted by McAfee among parents and children across 10 geographies revealed that Indian children are the youngest to reach mobile maturity.
• As per the report, smartphone use in the country among children in the age group of 10-14 is 83%, compared to the international average of 76%. 
• This poses high online risks to children in India
• Further, the study reveals that about 22% of Indian children experienced cyberbullying at some time, which is higher than the global average of 17%.

Also, the study reveals that:

• About 90% of parents globally recognise their role as protectors online, but only 56% of them used a password to protect their own smartphones
• 42% of parents used passwords to protect their children’s smartphones. 
• About 73% of children looked to parents more than any other resource for help with online safety.
• In India, 55 per cent of parents of girls aged 10-14 are more likely to check their calls and texts as compared to parents of boys at 52 per cent.
• Consistent with the global trend in India, 44 per cent of girls have parental controls software installed on computers compared to 40 per cent of boys, a modest 4 per cent difference.

Road Ahead

• When it comes to cyberbullying, Indian children are at a much higher risk than the global average. There is need to improve the nation's cybersecurity framework.
• For total online protection of families, this study urges parents to safeguard their kids from various vulnerabilities by using effective tools which give the ability to monitor device activity, limit screen time, block apps and filter websites to help add layer of protection.”

By: Shubham Tiwari