Latest news with #SecureNet
North Wales Live
28-07-2025
- Health
- North Wales Live
Kids ‘to spend up to four hours a day online this summer'
This summer, children will spend up to four hours a day of unstructured time online, according to new research, a 42% increase compared to term time. The new report by Vodafone – which surveyed parents of young people between the ages of eight and 17 - showed that staying in touch with friends (40%), fewer scheduled activities (37%) and an increase in long journeys (24%) are some of the reasons why device use naturally rises during the summer break. While screen time is a helpful way to stay connected and entertained, the rise of unstructured screen time (where children use digital devices without a specific educational or creative goal) means eight in 10 (80%) parents worry about how to keep their families protected over the summer, with 75% concerned over the longer-term impact that screen time could have. The report, which comes as Vodafone announces major improvements to its digital safety service - Secure Net - later this summer, uncovered that the majority of parents (65%) are concerned about their child's device use specifically during the school holidays. Many are thinking about how to support their child's wellbeing, with common concerns including screen time potentially affecting their sleep (29%), and mental health (28%) and seeing harmful content (26%). A quarter (25%) also worry their children may become less interested in playing outside. To help parents navigate this, Vodafone and Digital Awareness UK have teamed up to offer practical advice for parents on how to tackle digital risks facing children this summer, set healthy digital habits, and keep their family safe online. 'We know that the summer holidays can be a challenging time for parents and carers trying to keep their children entertained, and screens often feel like an easy solution to reach for during trips abroad, family outings, and days at home,' Emma Robertson, CEO of Digital Awareness UK, said. 'This can't always be avoided, but without structure, it can lead to greater exposure to online harms, mental health effects and unhealthy tech habits that are difficult to undo. "This research clearly shows that quality over quantity matters, and setting boundaries with screen time that work for your family is essential. So, the start of the summer is a great opportunity to set expectations with your children and kick-start conversations about how to have a healthy relationship with tech and enjoy using it safely and responsibly." The study went on to show that half of parents said they would feel more comfortable with device use if they had greater protection across devices at home and while their kids are out and about. A further 37% say they'd like more convenient tools to help control device usage, and a third (34%) are looking for advice and support to help keep their kids safe over the holidays. Later this summer, Vodafone will make it even easier for families to stay safe online and set healthy digital habits with a major upgrade to Secure Net - its existing digital security service - by bringing together its current mobile and broadband protection. It will include features like 'focus time' to limit distractions, the ability to pause the internet and disconnect devices, a bedtime mode, and a customisable content filter, allowing parents to tailor what their children can access online. Existing Secure Net Home and Mobile customers – including those who join before the new upgrade - will be automatically switched to the new version of Secure Net at no additional cost, retaining the same leading features with the added benefit of use across both Vodafone mobile and WiFi connections seamlessly. 'There's no one size fits all approach to how we build healthy digital habits at home. While many families are already having open conversations about online safety, our research shows a clear desire for more guidance and better tools. "That's why we're committed to putting the best technology and advice in parents' hands - to help them keep their families safe and confident online,' said Nicki Lyons, Chief Corporate Affairs & Sustainability Officer at VodafoneThree. 'Unstructured screen time tends to naturally rise during the summer holidays, so we've teamed up with Digital Awareness UK to offer practical, parent-friendly guidance. Combined with our Secure Net service — which offers the most comprehensive parental controls of any major UK network* — families can feel more confident navigating the digital world together and enjoy a safer, more balanced summer break'.
Scottish Sun
25-07-2025
- Scottish Sun
Brit kids and teens spending FOUR hours a day on screens over summer- leaving parents worried they'll view adult content
Vodafone and Digital Awareness UK have teamed up to offer practical advice for parents on how to tackle digital risks facing kids GLUED Brit kids and teens spending FOUR hours a day on screens over summer- leaving parents worried they'll view adult content Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) British kids and teens will spend up to FOUR HOURS a day glued to digital devices this summer - with a quarter of parents worried they'll view adult content. A report by Vodafone, surveying parents of young people between the ages of eight and 17, revealed that British children will spend half a standard working day mindlessly scrolling online. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Vodafone and Digital Awareness UK have teamed up to offer practical advice for parents on how to tackle digital risks facing kids This equates to a whopping 42% increase in screen time compared to when students are at school. Of those quizzed, parents' common concerns include screen time potentially affecting their sleep (29%), mental health (28%) and seeing harmful content (26%). A quarter (25%) also worry their children may become less interested in playing outside. Staying in touch with friends (40%), fewer scheduled activities (37%) and an increase in long journeys (24%) are some of the reasons why device use rockets during the holidays. Read more health DRINK APP Brits to get virtual IDs with promise of buying BOOZE using their PHONE While screen time helps entertain kids and keep them connected, the rise of unstructured screen time means a massive 80% of parents worry about how to keep their families protected over the summer. The study also revealed half of parents said they'd feel more comfortable with device use if they had greater protection across devices at home and while their kids are out and about. A further 37% say they'd like more convenient tools to help control device usage, and a third (34%) are looking for advice and support to help keep their kids safe over the holidays. The report, which comes as Vodafone announces major improvements to its digital safety service Secure Net later this summer, revealed that 65% of parents are concerned about their child's device use specifically during the school holidays. To help navigate this, Vodafone and Digital Awareness UK have teamed up to offer practical advice for parents on how to tackle digital risks facing kids, set healthy digital habits and keep their family safe online. Vodafone is making a major upgrade to Secure Net, its existing digital security service, by uniting its current mobile and broadband protection. Israel to allow foreign aid to parachute into Gaza but continues bombardment despite growing global pleas for ceasefire Features will include 'focus time' to limit distractions, the ability to pause the internet and disconnect devices, a bedtime mode, and a customisable content filter, allowing parents to tailor what their children can access online. Existing Secure Net Home and mobile customers, including those who join before the new upgrade later this summer, will be automatically switched to the new version at no additional cost. This means they'll retain the same features with the added benefit of use across both Vodafone mobile and WiFi connections. Emma Robertson, CEO of Digital Awareness UK, said: "We know that the summer break can be a challenging time for carers and parents trying to keep their children entertained. "Screens often feel like an easy solution to reach for during family outings, trips abroad and days at home. "This can't always be avoided but, without structure, it can lead to greater exposure to online harms, mental health effects and unhealthy tech habits, which are difficult to undo. "This research clearly shows that quality over quantity matters and setting boundaries with screen time that works for your family is essential. "The start of the summer is a great opportunity to set expectations with your kids and kick-start conversations about how to have a healthy relationship with tech and enjoy using it responsibly and safely." Nicki Lyons, Chief Corporate Affairs & Sustainability Officer at VodafoneThree, said: "There isn't a one-size-fits-all approach to how we build healthy digital habits at home. "While many families are already having open conversations about online safety, our research shows a clear desire for better tools and more guidance. "That's why we're committed to putting the best advice and technology in parents' hands - to help them keep their families safe and confident online. "Unstructured screen time tends to rise naturally during the summer holidays so we've teamed up with Digital Awareness UK to offer practical, parent-friendly guidance. "Combined with our Secure Net service, which offers the most comprehensive parental controls of any major UK network, families can feel more confident navigating the digital world and enjoy a safer and more balanced summer break." Vodafone and Digital Awareness UK have produced a guide to help parents identify the increased risks over the summer and how best to navigate them: For more information on Vodafone's Secure Net app, visit:
Channel Post MEA
04-06-2025
- Business
- Channel Post MEA
Securenet Partners with Premium-Line to Offer Structured Cabling Solutions in the UAE
SecureNet Distribution, a leading value-added distributor in the Middle East announced its strategic partnership with Premium-Line, a globally recognized manufacturer of high-performance structured cabling systems. This collaboration marks a significant expansion of SecureNet's product portfolio and reinforces its commitment to delivering world-class infrastructure solutions that meet the demands of today's rapidly evolving digital environment. Premium-Line, with its German-engineered copper and fiber optic cabling solutions, has earned a strong global reputation for reliability, compliance, and performance across mission-critical industries including data centers, smart buildings, and government networks. Robert Grischany, Managing Director of Premium-Line, commented: 'As we embark on our collaboration with SecureNet, Premium-Line holds high expectations for reliability, professionalism, and quality. Based on their strong reputation, we are confident that they will deliver the level of service and commitment that aligns with our values and supports our future success.' The partnership will enable both companies to serve the growing connectivity needs of enterprises and system integrators in the UAE. Leveraging SecureNet's robust distribution network and Premium-Line's globally trusted technology, customers will benefit from scalable, standards-compliant, and future-proof cabling solutions. Melwin D'Souza, CEO of SecureNet Distribution, stated: 'At SecureNet, we continuously strive to bring trusted global brands to our regional partners. Our alliance with Premium-Line not only enhances our structured cabling portfolio but also reinforces our commitment to offering robust, future-proof solutions. We are excited to work closely with the Premium-Line team and drive innovation together in the UAE.' With a shared vision of innovation, quality, and customer-centricity, this partnership is expected to unlock new opportunities for growth and technology leadership across the ICT ecosystem.
