97% of parents want evidence-based rules on children's social media use — survey
Nearly all Filipino parents and guardians want regulations on children's social media use to be based on evidence, a survey commissioned by the Child Rights Network (CRN) found, amid moves to tighten minors' access to digital platforms.
The survey by Momentum Research found that 97% of respondents favored evidence-based regulations, highlighting the need to consider children's actual online experiences in crafting policies.
Momentum Research chief executive Cleve Arguelles presented the findings Friday, 6 November, based on an online survey of 1,000 parents and guardians nationwide with at least one child aged 8 to 17 who uses social media.
Conducted from 29 October to 2 November, the survey used opt-in respondents and quota sampling across geographical, income and demographic groups.
The findings showed that children primarily use social media to communicate with family and friends (73%), for schoolwork and learning (70%), and for rest and relaxation (60%).
Parents also recognized its benefits, including helping children connect with relatives overseas, learn new skills, express themselves and access information. Across the benefits presented, agreement ranged from 87% to 97%.
For online safety, 44% of parents cited built-in parental controls and family safety features as effective measures, while 34% pointed to child-specific applications such as YouTube Kids and Messenger Kids.
Another 26% cited screen-time and application limits. Other practices included checking children's messages and browsing histories and restricting access to their accounts.
The survey found that 49% of parents said their children's accounts were private, while 35% said they were public. Five percent were unsure of the privacy settings.
Although 64% said they knew almost all or many of their children's online activities, 85% were confident their children would approach them if they encountered problems online.
Youth representative and Valenzuela DigiChamps President Lyra Ashley Embalsado cautioned against relying solely on parental monitoring and restrictions, saying parents cannot constantly supervise their children's online activities.
"Parents are not always physically present to monitor every online activity or interaction that their children have throughout the day," she said.
"If we simply remove us from access to these spaces, will we automatically know how to navigate them or when we eventually gain access to them?" she added.