Digital mobbing in focus

82% parents believe that they have good knowledge of their children’s digital lives. Still, the survey conducted by Demoskop for ICL Sweden among 1000 parents shows that parents have very little knowledge of the new media such as Snapchat, WhatsApp and Kik. Four out of ten parents never or seldom talk with their children about their experiences and habits online, while the same percent of parents thinks that Internet service providers should take more responsibility.

ICL sparks the conversation between youth and adults

“The dialogue between parents and children is crucial. We always ask our children where they are going as they leave the house, but many parents don’t know the whereabouts of their kids online,” says Lina Sundqvist, responsible for customer safety at ICL Sweden.

ICL wants to help parents to spark this important conversation with their children. Net-talk, as they call it, should be a normal part of everyday conversation – just as we ask about our children’s soccer game, or day at school, we should ask what’s happening on the internet.

To support parents in this dialogue, ICL created a web talk-guide in cooperation with partner Surfa Lugnt. The guide is available for four different age groups and offers an easy way for parents to start talking and engage with their children about life online.

A lasting commitment to safe use of internet

Net-talk guide is just the start. More initiatives helping parents to understand the digital life of children are coming up, such as a parent gaming. While these activities aim to bridge the gap between adults’ and youth’s knowledge and use of internet, the “safe on internet” concept will deal with diverse topics over the time.

During the past decade ICL introduced a number of initiatives in all of its 13 markets aiming to make internet a safer place for youth. ICL is taking part in EU initiative “The CEO Coalition to make the internet a better place for kids”. In Sweden, ICL co-operates with ECPAT, NOA, Surfa Lugnt and Red Cross.