Almost half of parents worry their kids ‘overshare’ on social media.
To be precise, four in 10 parents are worried their teenage children are 'oversharing' online.
A study of 1,000 parents of 13 to 18-year-olds found that while 66% said self-expression is important, 40% fear their offspring are saying TOO much online.
Self-expression
But 67% of the 1,000 teens polled believe self-expression and the need to talk things out is important – and they’re comfortable doing so virtually.
According to the research, the most popular topics to discuss in the online world for those aged 13 to 18 are friendships (46%), school (43%), social issues (30%) and mental health (28%).
But despite parents’ concerns of their teen’s openness, nearly a quarter (23%) confess they still shy away from discussing online safety - largely due to a lack of knowledge and understanding of social media.
Embarrassing
And it’s not just parents who are struggling, as 22% of teens find it embarrassing to talk about important matters with their guardians.
In fact, 44% prefer to chat to their friends via text rather than speak to their parents.
The study was commissioned by Snapchat to mark the launch of its Take My Words initiative, which is encouraging parents to share their old diary entries or a letter to their younger self to help establish common ground for more open conversations with teens.