Most Russians manipulate gadgets to influence their children

More than half (52%) of parents in Russia manipulate gadgets to influence their children's behavior. Kaspersky Lab analysts told Izvestia about this on July 3.

Thus, almost half (45%) of those who manipulate gadgets threaten to take the device away for bad behavior, more than a third (35%) reduce time for online games, and one in five takes the device away from the child in case of misconduct. Some parents, on the contrary, use gadgets as positive reinforcement: almost a third (31%) give access to the device to encourage the child for success and obedience.

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The effectiveness of such manipulations is questionable. Every second of those who resort to them admits that they can only sometimes influence a child's behavior in this way. Such actions can negatively affect family relationships and lead to a deterioration of trusting relationships between children and parents. So, 18% of those adults who use gadgets for manipulative purposes began to quarrel with the child more often because of prohibitions, and 10% of them note that the child has become more secretive.

"Using gadgets as a measure of punishment or encouragement seems to be an effective tool in the short term. But such an attitude can lead to undesirable results: children may begin to perceive the device as a bargaining chip, which can form unhealthy digital habits," said Andrey Sidenko, head of online child safety at Kaspersky Lab.

A more effective strategy, he said, would be to help a child develop an informed attitude towards gadgets — to discuss the rules of their use, explain the importance of digital balance, and show by personal example how technology can be a source of knowledge and development, not just entertainment. All this requires long-term work, but in the long run it will turn out to be the best solution.

Earlier, on May 15, it was reported that 97% of Russians surveyed had experienced cyberbullying over the past year. This is stated in the results of a study by the SberMarketing agency and the digital risk management company BI.ZONE. At the same time, the most common type of fraud is telephone: four out of five Russians (79%) have received such calls over the past 12 months.