Survey finds 89pc of parents in Mideast-Africa region use gadgets to entertain, occupy their kids

A recent survey has revealed that 89 per cent of parents use gadgets to entertain and occupy their children while travelling or to gain some free time for themselves.

A Thursday press release from global cybersecurity and digital privacy company Kaspersky revealed that more than half — 53pc — of children in the Middle East, Turkiye, and Africa (META) region receive their first personal device, a smartphone or a tablet, between ages three to seven.

However, 22pc, nearly a quarter of respondents, said they have not discussed internet safety rules with their children. This means that some of the children, who are often left one-on-one with their devices, are not always aware of how to behave safely online.

According to the survey, the children themselves admitted that gadgets played a significant role in their lives, with 78pc saying that they could not live without their gadgets.

Smartphones, tablets and game consoles are at the top of the list of the most desirable devices for children. This emphasises the critical need for children to understand that they can be exposed to threats online, what this means and how to safely navigate this through appropriate device rules and guidelines, the release said.

“Most parents give their children gadgets in order to entertain them, spare some time for themselves or calm down their kids. However, children shouldn’t use digital devices uncontrolled; rather parents should monitor their child’s digital life better,” said Seifallah Jedidi, head of consumer channel in the META region at Kaspersky.

This, he said, can be done by limiting screen time and holding conversations, however, a security solution is also needed.

“Applying parental control is not showing distrust to your child; it’s a sensible precaution with which you can, among other things, protect the device and the data on it,” he said.

He added that the practice would allow parents to control which sites their children visit and which games they play, as well as disallowing file downloads, blocking access to content on unwanted topics and preventing the disclosure of confidential information.

“This way, Kaspersky’s technologies help protect finances and confidential data from cybercriminals, and protect children from the risks that may lurk in the online environment”, he added.