Over half of NZ parents won’t allow children to use AI for schoolwork.

Over half  or 51 per cent of New Zealand parents with school-aged children between 4 and 17 say they would not allow or trust their children to use AI to complete schoolwork.

However, nearly 2 in 3 respondents (59 per cent) with children under 18 years of age say their children go online independently, for either fun or education. This could make it challenging for parents to monitor how their children are using the internet.

Only 46 per cent trust school technology policies and online security measures. Nearly two-thirds of Kiwi parents worry children post things on social media that could impact them later in life.

Furthermore, only 46 per cent of all respondents with children 17 years or under trust school technology policies and online security measures, while 36 per cent of parents with school-aged children believe schools are not doing enough to educate and protect children from online threats.

“I wouldn’t want my children to use AI tools to do their homework, because answers can come too easily, and I worry they won’t learn to become independent thinkers,' says says Nerida Jantti, who is a digital content creator and professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars.

"But it’s almost impossible to prohibit them from taking the easy way out because to be fair, who wants to spend hours putting in the grind when a pretty good response is produced within seconds from the glut of AI tools?

“I think schools need to give both students and parents more guidance about how genAI should or shouldn’t be used for school, and they also need to do more to teach kids about how to protect themselves from online threats.”

Apart from worries about how AI may be misused by children, parents are also concerned about other online risks, including:

• 50 per cent are worried their children are exposed to inappropriate content
• 44 per cent are worried they are being befriended by someone online who is trying to scam/manipulate their children (e.g., grooming)
• 43 per cent are worried about cyberbullying
• 31 per cent are worried about their children getting addicted to the internet/ social media

Even though parents are concerned about online risks for their children, 69 per cent of respondents are confident they know enough about online safety to keep their families safe. This confidence is perhaps reflected in how Kiwi parents place a premium on privacy even whilst they share their children’s lives on social media.

Of the 30 per cent of respondents with school-aged children who post photos of their kids, 58 per cent are careful about features in the picture that identify the school, and 70 per cent are careful about things in the picture that identify their children's home.

87 per cent of respondents who post photos of their children online use privacy settings, and 85 per cent of respondents who share photos of their children online have strict privacy settings on their social media accounts to ensure they share only within their network.

Of the parents who have posted photos of their children online, 80 per cent of them do so on Facebook, 42 per cent on Instagram, and 13 per cent utilise Snapchat for that purpose.

“It’s encouraging to see that Kiwi parents in general seem vigilant about what they post online about their children," says Norton APAC Managing Director Mark Gorrie.

"Photos of kids online can attract the attention of predators who might use the information for malicious purposes, as they inadvertently reveal information about a child's location, routines, and daily activities.

"Furthermore, once photos are posted online, parents lose control over how those images might be used, shared, or manipulated by others."

Mark says parents nowadays also need to juggle the fine line between allowing children to explore the internet while protecting them from online threats.

"For instance, 61 per cent of Kiwi parents worry that their children might share personal information that could lead to identity theft.

“Fortunately, Norton offers Norton Family, which provides parents with the insights they need to help keep their children safer and focused when online. Parents can see their child’s search terms and viewed videos, monitor for age-appropriate content, set screen limits, and more.

"This tool has become even more relevant as generative AI tools soar in popularity and children are being tempted to use them for school.”

To help parents keep their kids safe and from inappropriately relying on generative AI, Norton recommends parents to:

• Understand: Ask children about how they use their devices. Get involved and invested in their online activities to understand the unique risks they may be exposed to. An open dialogue about safe internet practices can help get kids into a better rhythm of sharing their online experiences openly, allowing parents to address challenges early on.
• Educate: Talk to your children about the most ubiquitous online threats such as cyberbullying, screen addiction, and grooming, and arm them with the ability to spot these risks. Help children understand the pros and cons of using AI tools for education or fun and have a go at some of these tools together.
• Curate: Curate a variety of AI tools that are suitable for your children’s age. Set boundaries about when they are encouraged or allowed to use those tools.
• Take charge: Install safeguards such as cybersecurity software on digital devices at home. Cyber safety plans such as Norton Family and Norton 360 Premium offer a range of features to help parents monitor their children’s Internet usage and help keep everyone’s data and devices safe.

About the 2023 Norton Cyber Safety omnibus survey

The research was conducted online in New Zealand by Dynata on behalf of Gen among 1,020 adults aged 18+, of which 345 are parents of children under 18. The survey was conducted from July 4 2023 to July 15 2023. Data are weighted where necessary by age, gender, and region to bring them in line with their actual proportions in the population.

Norton is a leader in Cyber Safety, and part of Gen™ (NASDAQ: GEN), a global company dedicated to powering Digital Freedom with a family of trusted consumer brands. Norton empowers millions of individuals and families with award-winning protection for their devices, online privacy, and identity. Norton products and services are certified by independent testing organisations including AV-TEST, AV-Comparatives, and SE Labs. Norton is a founding member of the Coalition Against Stalkerware. Learn more at www.norton.coma