Password and Malwarebytes: “Forever connected: the realities of parenting and growing up online Have you posted those baby photos?” Decades ago, this would have sounded like gibberish. Today, we hear it all the time. Underneath these words is the understanding that we’ll share nearly everything online. And kids face the same expectation to build and maintain an “online presence” from day one. Maintaining a digital identity brings a unique set of challenges not faced by previous generations, creating complexity for young people and parents alike. The impacts of digital immersion are coming into focus as the babies in those photos grow into adults and navigate life online. Password and Malwarebytes came together to dive deeper into the topic, exploring what it’s like to grow up on the internet. We asked Gen Z kids (individuals born between the mid-90s and early 2010s) and adults in North America a series of questions to better understand their routines, challenges, and views about the future for a fully online generation.

Our research shows that, at best, many parents are unsure of how to help their kids protect themselves online; and, at worst, they are inadvertently exposing their children to security risks. Parents can help their kids navigate the identity lifecycle, but that is only the start.This research underscores the importance of broad-based digital literacy education for both parents and kids…”