Great post by Tracey Hope-Ross on the Engage Moms blog as Media Post recently spoke with nearly 1,000 Moms of kids aged 8 to 13 years about their kid's
Online Behavior
Tracey reports that kids express an interest in "social networking" sites around the age of 10. At that age, 44% of kids join online communities to connect with friends and other kids from school. One-third also turn to social networking sites to communicate with family members online, as well as to stay in touch with others who may be separated by distance.
Why Moms Worry
- Moms worry that their children may be exposed to inappropriate content and "stranger danger."
- 61% Moms worry about their child unknowingly posting personal information
- 40% fear their child might post information online that can never be removed or deleted
- 30% worry their kids might lie about their age
- 23% fear their child may be involved in cyber-bulling behavior
Moms actively supervise their children' s use of social networking and gaming sites:
- Most children who spend time on social networking or gaming sites do not play unsupervised. Nearly 70% of Moms retain control of where and when their 8-13-year-old children play.
Bottom line for marketers creating online content for kids: While Moms allow their children access to many popular social networking and gaming sites online, they retain tight control over their child' s activities.
