Switched on Families
Our children are now society’s most connected age group and we all share a responsibility to ensure they grow up empowered, digitally respectful and confident citizens who use the internet for the good it can create.
Virgin Media is playing its part to help parents, grandparents and caregivers in the UK make informed and confident choices about how their kids use the web. Switched On Families, running since 2014, is giving clear, honest and useful support to make sure that families get the best from today’s digital world.
When Virgin Media spoke to thousands of UK parents and families about their everyday internet concerns as part of the Our Digital Future project, the response was clear: everyone loves the web, but some people want better technology and guidance from internet service providers to help keep kids safe online.
Our Digital Future found that four out of five parents with children under the age of 18 say that most of the responsibility for keeping their kids safe online lies with them. Yet just two in five parents have taken any action to shape their children’s online behavior. Many parents felt they’d like to do more, but they need support and guidance about the best steps to take.
The Switched On Families initiative is supported by F-Secure Safe; online protection experts who help provide Virgin Media’s parental control tools. No technology can provide 100% protection from all the potential issues children face online, so the partnership also includes parenting specialists at The Parent Zone to help families handle their kids’ online use.
Through Switched On Families, parents and caregivers can find straight-forward information about the hot issues and hear from other families about the choices they’re making online. There’s also the Switched On Families Playbook – an interactive guide that helps adults navigate potential challenges and solutions so that they can understand what the internet can do to support children’s development.
We’ll continue to provide valuable education and awareness for all families and teachers through supportive programs like Switched On Families, because we share parents’ desire to make the internet a safer place for the next generation of digital leaders to learn and grow.
