Family relationships and tech
What is Risk ?
Digital risk factors associated with their interests and activities
Family refers to immediate relations, like parents, siblings, or grandparents. It also refers to more distant relations, like cousins, or people who aren’t biologically related, like a step-parent, or ‘auntie’ who is a close friend of the family.
Families can use different tech in many ways, including:
- family group chats on messenger services
- video calling platforms
- streaming and entertainment services, like Netflix
- social media
- location tracking apps
- online gaming or virtual reality tech
- health and fitness apps
- smart devices
Tech can play a positive role in family life, for:
- planning routines
- entertainment
- communication
- support
- making life easier
Tech can also have a negative or challenging impact on family relationships. It might introduce difficult parenting decisions. For example, how long a child should be allowed to use a platform, or what age they can own a smartphone.
It can also allow a family member to control a young person through spyware and surveillance tools.
Where this can happen
Risks and motivations
Risks
Conflict
Tech can cause conflict or a disagreement in a family. For example, siblings might argue over access to a device, or games console.
Families might disagree about:
- appropriate ages and boundaries
- screen time limits
- cost
Some conflicts can be hurtful and deeply upsetting. It might leave family members stressed, angry at each other, or feeling like they’ve been treated unfairly.
Loss of privacy
Tech can help a parent or family member monitor their child’s online and offline activities. Parental controls can provide insight into a child’s activity on some platforms. This can include:
- screen time use
- who they’ve messaged
- who they’ve blocked
Monitoring can also mean a family member asking for access to a child’s device or social media account. Some young people may view monitoring as an invasion of their privacy.
Being controlled
Tech can be used to control someone. Location apps, spy apps, and phone clones can show:
- geographic location
- someone’s behaviours on a device
- private unencrypted content, for example, text messages
- call history
- activity on social media.
In most cases, this might be with the intention of limiting risks, harms or undesired behaviours and activity.
This might mean that some young people set up fake accounts (Finstas) or use tech like VPNs. These behaviours could expose them to other risks and harms.
Online safety
Some online tech can pose risks to families. For example, someone gaming online might experience harassment or abuse from another player. This can happen even when part of a family activity.
Families might use a messenger platform to stay in touch. This can expose young people to harmful or adult content.
It is important to remember that even if a family is familiar with a piece of tech, the safety and unique needs of each family member can be different.
Abuse
Tech could be used by a family member to abuse another family member. Abuse can take various forms. For example, a family member using a messenger app could emotionally abuse another family member by:
- harassing them
- bullying them
- belittling them
- name-calling
- criticising them
Showing online pornography to a child is a form of sexual abuse.
Motivations
Tech can be an opportunity for a young person to build and maintain a good relationship with specific family members, or their wider family. It can also be one way for them to get support from family when they need it.
A young person could find that it’s easier to speak to family members about tricky topics through tech, rather than in person.
What you can do
Some family dynamics and behaviours might concern you. You may be worried about the well-being of a young person. The way that tech is used by some families or family members may add to this concern.
If you think that a young person is at risk, follow your safeguarding procedure and read our safeguarding guidance.
Support
Talking can be one way to help a young person recover from a damaging experience involving their family or a family member.
Discussions might involve:
- what has taken place
- their mental health and wellbeing
- their physical health and safety
- speaking to a trusted adult about concerns they have
- that some discussions involve compromise
- that some behaviours, like abuse, are never okay
- where to get further help and support
Read more about family relationships and tech
Share your experience of family relationships and tech
You can tell us about:
- other terms you might have heard
- conversations you’ve had with young people
- a related platform or app
- another related risk or harm