As a parent, I’ve often thought about how to keep my kids safe online without being too restrictive. That’s why I explored the latest data on parental controls. In this article, I’ll share how parents are managing their kids’ digital activities, what tools they’re using, and what works best.
12 Key Findings From Our Parental Controls Survey
Here’s a summary of the most interesting findings and key parental controls statistics:
- 51% of parents use parental control apps on their kids’ devices.
- Usage is higher for children aged 5–11 and decreases as they grow older.
- 86% of parents start using parental controls before their child turns 5.
- The main reasons for parental controls are blocking inappropriate content (66%) and managing screen time (54%).
- 85% of parents allow teens (13–17) to own smartphones, mainly for safety and education.
- 68% of parents let their teens use social media, with YouTube being the most popular platform.
- 57% of parents report their kids encountering inappropriate content online, with pornography being the most common.
- 94% of parents have discussed internet safety with their children.
- 73% of parents saw reduced screen time after implementing parental controls.
- 79% of parents find parental controls effective in blocking harmful content.
- 44% of parents worry that parental controls invade their child’s privacy but still use them.
- 61% of parents find parental control software easy to use, though 39% feel there’s room for improvement.
About Our Survey
To understand how parents use parental controls, we surveyed 11,200 parents of all backgrounds and with children of all ages. Among the respondents, we had a diverse range of parents, including working parents, stay-at-home parents, single parents, and parents of multiple children.
Our main focus was on parents using parental controls, and we reached out via newsletters, social media, and targeted ads. We categorized our participants based on their tech-savviness and divided them into three sets of Extremely Tech Savvy, Somewhat Tech Savvy, and Not Tech Savvy.
51% of Parents Use Parental Control Apps on Their Children’s Devices
Half of all parents (51%) use parental control apps, with higher usage among parents of younger children aged 5–11 (77%) compared to older children aged 12–17 (59.5%). This drop suggests parents may trust older kids to navigate online spaces more responsibly.
The main reasons for using parental control apps include blocking inappropriate content (66%), limiting screen time (54%), tracking online activity (43%), and monitoring social media (39%). Some parents also use these apps to prevent cyberbullying (27%), protect against online predators (23%), and safeguard their child’s privacy (21%).
Parents concerned about online safety are far more likely to use these tools (67%) than those who aren’t (36%).
86% of Parents Start Using Parental Controls When Their Child Is Under 5
Most parents (86%) begin using parental controls before their kids turn 5, showing an early focus on online safety. Usage decreases as kids grow older, with 74% of parents using them for children aged 5–8, 71% for ages 9–11, and just 57% for ages 15–17. This decline suggests parents give older teens more freedom or trust them to self-regulate online.
