The majority of young Australians think their parents don’t know what they get up to online and many make fake profiles and clear their search histories to avoid detection, a new survey reveals.
The survey of 1,000 children aged between 8-17 years old by Cyber security firm McAfee showed 70 per cent thought their parents didn't know what they did online.
Many also reported trying to hide their online activities by making fake profiles or deleting search histories and other files.
But Professor Axel Bruns of Queensland University of Technology’s school of Media and Communications told SBS parents should consider the findings carefully before jumping to conclusions.
"Obscuring what you do from your parents is as old parenthood itself."
"The first point is that these are these teenagers perceptions that their parents don’t know what they’re doing online,” he said. "I think there’s a question about whether that perception is true.
"Having said that it is quite possible for teenagers with some degree of technological knowledge to obscure their tracks to some extent."
Professor Bruns said that while children could try to delete their internet footprint, it was not an easy process.
"In theory it’s very difficult to fully erase what you’re doing online," he said.
"Particularly if you’re not just browsing but if you’re actively contributing content, even under a pseudonym, these sorts of things tend to leave traces."
He said parents who wanted to stay across their children’s online activity needed to start with a simple conversation.
"These sorts of questions rarely have a technological solution," he said.
"It's much more important to be on good terms with your children, to talk to your children and make sure you’re able to talk about issues like cyber bullying, like safe conduct online."
"At the same time I think its important for parents not to get too worried about what your kids are doing online."
"Obscuring what you do from your parents is as old parenthood itself."
He cautioned parents considering tracking their children's internet usage to make sure it doesn't become obsessive.
“If it really comes to a point where every time the child leaves the room and the parent goes on their computer and checks their browsing history, that can quickly become very intrusive," he said.
"That would really need to be a last resort if there are clear and serious questions over what the child is doing online."
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