Online safety is always top-of-mind at Yahoo!, and to honor June as National Internet Safety Month, we are sharing interesting data from a recent survey of 2000 U.S. Internet users to gain insight into consumers’ behaviors and perceptions around online safety.  The survey data provides insight into how parents monitor children’s online behavior and how people manage their personal reputations online.  As a result, we are giving parents a B+ for taking action to protect children online, with a special shout-out to dads!

Below are the key findings.

Parents take action

We are encouraged to learn that parents are taking action to actively monitor their kids’ online activity.

• 70% of parents talk to their children about online safety at least 2-3 times a year; 45% talk to their children least once a month.
• 74% of parents are connected to their children’s profiles on social networking sites.

• 71% of parents have taken at least one action to manage their children’s use of the Internet or cell phones.  Parents are checking to see where children are searching online, setting time limits, setting parental controls on video sites, and using filters to limit where their children go on the Web.

Dads are doing their part and then some.

• 71% of dads (compared to 63% of moms) say they are taking at least one action to help manage their children’s online behavior, including having conversations about respecting the privacy of others and checking their children’s privacy settings.
• Fathers more often check to see what personal information can be easily found about their children by searching their names online.
• 53% of dads surveyed told us they plug their children’s names into a search engine at least 2-3 times per year (compared to 38% of moms), and 33% of dads told us they search at least once a month.

“Digital footprint” is a mystery to many

Do you know what your “digital footprint” is?  If not, you’re not alone.  65% of people are not sure what a digital footprint is.   I define a digital footprint as the data trail (i.e. photos, profile information, comments, and blogs) that you leave through your activity in a digital environment. The survey unveiled that:

When was the last time you conducted an online search of your name or your child’s name?  We found that only 20% of people plug their own name into a search engine once a month or more, and 49% of people do it 2 – 3 times a year or less.  That’s not enough.  This is not about doing a vanity search; it’s about learning what’s out there and ultimately taking control of your online image.

What to do:

Yahoo! believes that education is key to empowering people to be proactive in managing their online image.  To keep you and your children safe in a digital world, take action.

• Know your connections: Only connect with people you know offline.
• Think before you post: Once something is posted online, it’s virtually impossible to take back because words, pictures, and videos can be easily forwarded, copied, and taken out of context.
• Protect your personal information: Posting personal information or photos can identify you to strangers. Never reveal personal information to people unless you are friends with them offline. 
• Configure your settings: Take the time to understand the profile settings that are available to you on websites and social networks, and tailor those settings for you.
• Understand your digital footprint: On a monthly basis, search for your name on search engines (like Yahoo! Search) and social networks to understand what type of content is associated with you.

The reality is that we live in a digital world where our photos, videos, words, and actions continue to live online long after they are originally communicated. With the continued growth of the Web — particularly social networking sites — digital-reputation concerns will also continue to grow.  We applaud the parents who are taking an active role in keeping their kids safe online, and we encourage parents to use Yahoo! Safely as a resource for relevant, up-to-date strategies and tools to help foster safer online experiences for their families.

Catherine Teitelbaum, Yahoo!’s Director of Child Safety and Product Policy