Indian children are the youngest to reach mobile maturity, said a McAfee study conducted amongst parents and children across 10 geographies.
As per the study, smartphone use in the country among children in the age of 10-14 is 83%, which is 7% higher than the international average of 76%.
This led kids in India to high exposure to online risks. Additionally, some 22% of Indian children experienced cyberbullying at some time which was notably 5% higher than the global average of 17%, found the study.
Some 90% of parents globally recognise their role as protectors online, but sadly only 56% of them used a password to protect their own smartphones and 42% used passwords to protect their children’s smartphones. But the irony was, that some 73% of children looked to parents more than any other resource for help with online safety, reported McAfee.
“Children in India are among the youngest to reach mobile maturity and report among the highest exposure to online risks. With this research, we are trying to equip parents with the knowledge necessary to succeed as effective online protectors for their connected families,” said Sachin Puri, Vice President of Marketing, McAfee.
The level of concern about cyberbullying and abuse on social media amongst Indian parents was 47%, a full 10% lower than the global average of 57%.
Indian parents and children reported leaks of financial information at a higher rate than families worldwide, with parents 9% higher than the 21% average and children 13% higher than the 10% average, according to the survey.
Also, the number of Indian children engaging in private conversations without knowing a person’s real identity was a noteworthy 11% higher than for other children around the world, revealed the study titled the ‘Life Behind the Screens of Parents, Tweens, and Teens.’
