Half of Romanian parents talk to their children about social media use every day, study says

A national study conducted by World Vision Romania in partnership with TikTok shows that although 51% of parents in Romania talk daily with their children about the use of social networks, almost 70% of them do not trust their own abilities to support them in navigating online.

According to the study, which is meant to promote the use of TikTok’s safety features, almost 90% of parents say their teenagers are willing to talk to them about their online experiences, but many believe they do not have the tools and knowledge necessary to turn these discussions into real support.

Almost 46% of parents either do not know about the existence of parental control features or cannot use them.

Moreover, 30.8% of parents consider conversations and rules established at home to be the most effective method of parental control. At the same time, 77% monitor their children’s online activity, and the use of parental control tools increases with the level of education: from 33% among those with primary education to 76% among those with postgraduate studies.

“The results clearly show us that parents want to protect their children, but they do not always have the necessary knowledge or confidence,” said Mihaela Nabăr, Executive Director of World Vision Romania, according to the study, cited by G4Media.

The research shows large differences between generations: young parents (under 35 years old) are more open and familiar with digital tools, with 74% of them trusting parental control features, compared to only 47% among those over 55 years old. At the same time, only 20% of older parents consider that they have digital skills equal to or better than their children, compared to 46% of younger parents.

Regarding sources of information, school plays an essential role for parents under 35 years old (63%), but its importance decreases to 49% among those over 55 years old. Also, interest in digital safety increases with education level; parents with higher education mention specialized forums as trusted sources.

The study was conducted on a sample of 1,186 parents with children aged between 13 and 18, across the entire country. The sample ensures coverage in all counties of Romania, including respondents from both urban and rural areas.

(Photo source: Sawitri Khromkrathok |