Two thirds of British Parents Cyber-Spy on Their Kids
· Parents check their kids’ Facebook page at least once a day.
· One in six joined Facebook just to snoop on their child.
· ‘Mummy Boilers’ in Birmingham are more nosey than dads.
Two thirds of British parents admit to regularly using Facebook to spy on their child, according to research by VoucherCodes.co.uk.
The research reveals parents spend 18 minutes a week checking their child’s Facebook profile, logging in at least once a day to snoop around.
In fact, one in six parents admits the only reason they signed up to the social media site was to keep an eye on their child.
Almost a third of parents check their kids’ Facebook photos to get a real insight into their lives, and one in five keep tabs on their children’s whereabouts by searching for more information on events they are attending and looking up locations they have recently checked-in to.
Duncan Jennings, co-founder of VoucherCodes.co.uk, said: “It’s only natural for parents to worry about what their child is getting up to and our research shows they’re turning to Facebook to keep track of this.
“The variety of apps and features available to Facebook users allows you to share your every movement, meaning parents can see everything from who their kids are hanging out with to what they’re spending their money on.”
One in six fears their child is getting in with a bad crowd and use Facebook to quality check their friends.
One in ten admits it is the only way they will find out if their son or daughter is in a relationship and two per cent even use it to keep an eye on their kids’ spending.
Mums - branded ‘Mummy Boilers’ - are 14 per cent more likely than dads to snoop on their kids online.
However, they are also more likely to communicate with their child via Facebook, with almost one in five choosing to message their kid through the site rather than send them a text or give them a call, compared to one in ten dads.
The most paranoid parents in the UK can be found in Birmingham with over three quarters admitting to spying on their children online.
Brummy mummies and daddies will check in on their child’s Facebook page 13 times a week - that’s almost twice a day - spending two minutes each time.
Interestingly, their neighbours in Worcester are the least worried about their child’s social media activity, checking their kids’ Facebook just twice a week, compared to the national average of seven.
Do you spy on your child via Facebook? Tell us your reasons why in the comments below or tweet us @FemaleFirst_UK
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