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.
Content Filtering Is the Most Common Type of Parental Control Used by Parents
Blocking inappropriate websites and apps is the top reason parents use controls, with 66% relying on content filtering. Other popular features include usage controls (56%), activity monitoring (47%), and download restrictions (33%).
84% of Parents Use Parental Controls Primarily for Safety Concerns
According to our survey, 84% of parents who use parental controls do so primarily for safety concerns. This is understandable, as parents are worried about their children being exposed to inappropriate content or being harmed online.
Some specific safety concerns that parents have include exposure to pornography and other inappropriate content (62%), cyberbullying and online harassment (43%), online predators and child grooming (36%), access to harmful websites and apps (52%), and excessive screen time and addiction (41%).
Other reasons why parents use parental controls include academic performance (35%), screen time management (27%), and other varying reasons (8%), like promoting healthy media use habits, encouraging kids to engage in activities besides using media, preventing kids from accessing harmful websites and apps, limiting children’s exposure to advertising, and protecting their privacy.
73% of Parents Monitor Their Children’s App Usage
According to our survey, 73% of parents with children ages 5 to 11 check the apps their children use, while 47% of parents of younger teens and 33% of parents of older teens use parental controls to monitor their child’s app usage.
This suggests that a majority of parents monitor their children’s app usage in some way, but the percentage of parents who use parental controls specifically to monitor app usage is lower. It means parents are aware of the importance of monitoring their children’s app usage, but they may not be using parental controls to do so.
85% of Parents Allow Their Children Between 13 and 17 to Have Their Own Smartphones
85% of parents allow their children between the ages of 13 and 17 to have their own smartphones.
There are several reasons why parents choose to allow their children to have smartphones. Parents let their kids have smartphones for safety (91%), to maintain contact with friends and family (72%), and for educational purposes (63%), as they provide access to information and resources beneficial for school success.
We also found that parents of younger children (ages 13-14) are more likely to allow their children to have smartphones (81%) than parents of older children (ages 15-17) (89%). Plus, among our respondents, we found that parents with high school educations (86%) were more likely to allow their children to have smartphones than parents with less than a high school education (71%).
66% of Parents Monitor Their Children’s Internet Browsing
66% of parents monitor their children’s internet browsing in some way. We also found that parents of younger children (ages 5-11) are more likely to monitor their children’s internet browsing (75%) than parents of older children (ages 12-17) (64%).
Additionally, parents are more likely to use parental controls specifically to monitor their children’s internet browsing (62%) than they are to use parental controls to monitor their children’s app usage (47% for younger teens and 33% for older teens).
68% of Parents Allow Their Children to Use Social Media on Their Phones
68% of parents with children ages 13 to 17 allow their children to use social media on their phones. And surprisingly, only a third of parents were aware of the correct minimum age requirement for social media.
Here are some insights for specific social media platforms that parents let kids use:
- YouTube: 89% of children aged 3-17
- TikTok: 57% of children aged 3-17
- Instagram: 54% of children aged 12-15
- Snapchat: 53% of children aged 12-15
- Facebook: 49% of children aged 12-15
79% of Parents Allow Their Children to Use Their Computers for Gaming
Gaming is a popular activity, especially among kids aged 5–11, with 79% of parents allowing them to play on computers. Parents believe gaming helps develop cognitive skills (72%), problem-solving (69%), and social skills (55%).
However, 63% of parents worry about its impact on mental health. Interestingly, 48% of parents actively play video games with their kids, seeing it as a bonding activity.
57% of Parents Have Children Visit Inappropriate Websites or Download Inappropriate Content on Their Computers
57% of parents said their children have visited inappropriate websites or downloaded inappropriate content on their computers. We also found that 39% of teens have seen pornography online.
Parents also shared the most common types of inappropriate content they found on their child’s computer with pornography topping the list with 73%. Besides pornography, 57% of children downloaded or viewed content related to violence, 49% were involved in or a victim of hate speech, 44% were involved in or a victim of cyberbullying, and 39% were involved in other dangerous or illegal activities.
94% of Parents Have Talked to Their Children About Internet Safety
According to our survey, 94% of parents with children under 18 have talked to their children about internet safety. This suggests that a vast majority of parents are aware of the importance of talking to their children about internet safety and are taking steps to do so.
However, it is important to note that talking to children about internet safety is just one step in the process of keeping them safe online. Parents also take other steps, such as setting clear rules and expectations for internet use, monitoring their children’s online activity, and using parental controls.
51% of Parents Have a Family Media Plan
51% of parents have a family media plan. This means nearly half of parents have a plan in place for how their children use media devices.
These plans often include screen time limits, device curfews, and rules about the type of content kids can access. Media plans help parents set consistent expectations while promoting healthy digital habits.
73% of Parents Reported a Decrease in Their Child’s Screen Time After Implementing Parental Controls
73% of parents who use parental controls reported a decrease in their child’s screen time after implementing them. This suggests parental controls can be an effective way to reduce children’s screen time.
Parents can use parental controls to set screen time limits, block access to certain apps and websites, and monitor their children’s online activity. This can help parents to ensure their children are spending a healthy amount of time on their devices and engaging in other activities.
79% of Parents Find Parental Controls to Be Very Effective in Blocking Inappropriate Content
79% of parents find parental controls to be very effective in blocking inappropriate content.
Of these 79% of parents, 53% reported that parental controls were effective in reducing exposure to pornography and violence. 68% of parents agreed that parental controls were effective in managing screen time, leading to improved online behavior in their children.
71% of Parents Learned About Parental Controls From Online Articles
71% of parents learned about parental controls from online articles.
51% of parents learned about parental controls from friends and family. 46% of parents learned about parental controls from technology companies, such as the manufacturers of their children’s devices. 39% of parents learned about parental controls from schools and libraries while 16% learned about parental controls from nonprofit organizations that focus on child safety.
Plus, 55% of parents learned about parental controls via social media. This suggests that social media is a growing source of information for parents about parental controls.
Some popular social media platforms where parents learn about parental controls include Facebook (36%), Instagram (23%), Twitter (16%), and TikTok (10%).
44% of Parents Believe Using Parental Controls Invades Their Child’s Privacy
While 44% of parents feel parental controls invade their child’s privacy, most still use them to prioritize safety. Many parents struggle to explain the need for these tools, leading to communication gaps. Despite this, 94% of parents have conversations with their kids about why these controls are necessary.
63% of Parents Find Phones More Effective for Implementing Parental Controls Than Computers
Phones are preferred over computers for parental controls by 63% of parents. Phones offer more portability and built-in features like app blocking, location tracking, and web filtering. Computers, often shared by family members, can be harder to manage for individual control settings.
76% of Parents Say Parental Controls Have Helped Them Keep Their Children Safe Online
76% of parents who use parental controls say that they have helped them keep their children safe online. This trend was higher among parents of younger children ages 4-11 (82%) than parents of older children ages 12-17 (73%).
We also found that 67% of parents believe parental controls have helped them keep their children safe from inappropriate content. 53% believe that parental controls protected their kids from cyberbullying and 46% believe that parental controls prevented online predators from contacting their kids.
61% of Parents Rate Their Parental Control Software as User-Friendly
A majority of parents, 61%, rate their parental control software as user-friendly.
When asked to evaluate the ease of use of their software on a scale from 1 (Very Difficult) to 5 (Very Easy), these parents scored their experience towards the higher end of the scale, indicating satisfaction with the interface and functionality of the parental control tools they are using.
However, there is still room for improvement. 39% of parents find their parental control software to be somewhat difficult or very difficult to use. This suggests there is a need for parental control software that is more user-friendly and easier to set up and use.
Over 83% of Parents Are Satisfied With the Parental Controls They Use
We found that 83% out of 10 parents who use parental controls are satisfied with them. These parents are most satisfied with parental controls that allow them to block inappropriate websites and apps, limit screen time, and track their children’s online activity.
- Most parents were satisfied with parental controls if they were easy to use (87%) and effective at keeping their children safe online (86%).
- Plus, parents of younger children (ages 4-11) were more satisfied with parental controls (84%) than parents of older children (ages 12-17) (78%).
