New links in the family

Original title: Nieuwe links in het gezin.

Virtually all families with teenagers have at least one computer with an Internet connection, often more. Teenagers spend much of their daily lives on the Internet. They use it to communicate with each other, to do their schoolwork, to meet new friends and to organise their social lives. But in addition to the benefits, there are also questions about the safety of young people online. How much do parents know about what their teenage children are doing on the Internet? Are the Internet activities and skills of parents adequate to enable them to connect with the digital world inhabited by their children? How much information do parents give their teenage children, and do they set rules for Internet use?

New links in the family is a report of a study among teenagers at secondary school and their parents. It offers a broad view of the digital world of teenagers and the position occupied by parents in that world. The report describes the rate of ownership of ICT facilities in families and takes a detailed look at the computer and Internet use of teenagers and parents, and at how much parents know about what their teenage children do on the Internet. Their computer skills are compared: is there evidence for a digital gulf within families? The report also lifts the veil on the online social lives of teenagers. It concludes with an examination of their safety on the Internet and the role that parents can play in this regard.