Summary
- Only 9% have online safety as a top three resolution. Internet Matters recommends digital resolutions for parents to adopt in 2025.
- 58% of parents agree that the New Year is an ideal opportunity to improve their family’s digital habits.
- Children’s online safety is now a bigger concern for parents than safety outside the home compared to one year ago.
Internet Matters is encouraging parents to incorporate digital safety and wellbeing into their goals for the coming year, as 58% of parents agree that the New Year is an ideal opportunity to reset and improve their family’s digital habits in new research from the online safety organisation.
The research shows that goals around exercise and fitness (26%), diet (25%) and mental wellbeing (18%) also dominate parents’ New Year resolutions lists, while online safety goals rank at the lower end at 9%, despite online safety concerns becoming more significant to families.
Internet Matters’ latest research suggests that more parents now worry about their children being safe online (32%) than being safe out of the home (30%), compared to 29% who were concerned about online safety a year ago.
Yet, with nearly a third (30%) of parents not planning to implement measures related to online safety in the New Year, Internet Matters is urging parents to review their digital habits and model healthy behaviours around device use, set digital boundaries and have positive conversations about children’s online activities.
Ghislaine Bombusa, Content & Digital Director at Internet Matters said: “Families are increasingly recognising that online safety isn’t optional and this time of year offers them the opportunity to reflect on their digital habits.
“The New Year also offers a fresh start, and while resolutions are often made with the best intentions, many people struggle to stick to them beyond January.
“To ensure online safety goals turn into ongoing habits, parents can focus on small actions that fit into their routines.”
Digital resolutions for parents
Internet Matters suggests some digital resolutions parents can adopt in the New Year:
- Show children what healthy digital habits look like through your own behaviour, such as putting phones away at mealtimes or turning them off at night, if possible.
- Ensure all connected devices are set up with age-appropriate privacy settings and filters to keep children safe from seeing harmful content.
- Have regular chats with your child about their online experiences and the emotional impact.
- Use Internet Matters’ Digital Family agreement to agree a joint plan for your online lives.
