26 July 2011: Too Fast, Too Soon

The majority of parents (87%) feel children are growing up too quickly and three quarters (74%) think the issues their children face today are more serious than the issues they faced at the same age, according to new research* published by parenting charity Family Lives and alcohol education charity Drinkaware. 

The survey of 800 parents and 600 children reveals that three quarters (73%) of 10-17 year olds would choose to speak to their parents first about issues they are encountering.  While most (86%) parents feel increased technological exposure is influencing their children growing up too quickly, Family Lives and Drinkaware are encouraging them to counteract this by talking about ‘grown up’ issues with their children in their pre–teens, before they are exposed to online influences.

The charities also highlight the prevalence of ‘new’ issues children are facing.  While parents are justifiably worried about ‘traditional’ issues such as sex, drugs and smoking, children as young as 10 are also experiencing underage drinking and sexting – sending and receiving sexually explicit text messages.  Almost a third (31%) of 13-15 year olds have drunk alcohol and more than a quarter (28%) have received sexually explicit text messages, compared to 15% who have smoked and 4% who have taken drugs.

With three quarters (75%) of 10-12 year olds owning a mobile phone, half (50%) having unsupervised access to a computer in their bedroom and over half (53%) being signed up to Facebook despite being underage,** these ‘new’ issues are also reflected in the online content children are exposed to.  The survey shows:

• More than a quarter (28%) of 10-12 year olds see and read alcohol-related posts on social networking sites
• Over a third (37%) of 13-15 year olds see photos of their friends drunk on social networking sites
• 12% of 10-12 year olds and 25% of 13-15 year olds say they have seen sexually explicit images on the internet.

Whilst families have always worried about their children’s use of existing and emerging technologies, social networking is a relatively new phenomenon that did not exist for most parents when they were at school.  Parents should be having conversations with their children, as the consequences of inappropriate social networking and messaging amongst children and young people can be extremely damaging. Young people are more likely to seek help and advice from parents who listen and are supportive, rather than those who lecture or fly off the handle.  The more help and information that parents and carers have to understand these issues and talk to their kids about risky behaviours, the safer their kids will be.

Being a parent is a tough job.  While the growth of social networking sites and mobile technology offers society huge opportunities, it also makes it even more challenging for parents to protect children from age-inappropriate content. 

With children as young as 10 being exposed to online conversations about alcohol, it’s essential parents feel equipped to talk to them about the risks of underage drinking. Although parents might sometimes feel their children don’t listen to a word they say, this survey shows they are in the best position to make sure their children are armed with the facts so they can make informed decisions about drinking when the time comes.