As part of our mission, we undertake research into the issues affecting children, young people and families in the digital age.
All our research is independently commissioned and funded.
You can browse our research and download our reports below.
A problem hiding in plain sight?
Nov 2023
Parent Zone is increasingly concerned about online financial harms for children. But exactly how much financial agency do children have online – and how are they spending, making, and losing money?
Online safety tools - a false hope?
April 2023
The Online Safety Bill means safety tools will become ever more central to using the internet for for us all, especially parents and children. While the tools undoubtedly have a part to play, Parent Zone has a number of reservations.
Your Digital Family – Listening Project
January 2023
Parents know their children better than anyone. Yet we found little mention of them in the Online Safety Bill. To address this, Parent Zone partnered with Meta to create the Your Digital Family Listening Project and discover how families really feel about tech.
For Their Future
March 2022
When the pandemic hit in 2020, the world changed. But we still had a job to do: to help children be secure, resilient and confident online. With families more reliant on tech than before, that work was even more important.
Digital Poverty
June 2021
One of the many consequences of lockdown in 2020 was the amplifying of 'digital poverty'. However, with no agreed definition of the term, it was difficult to assess the scale of this. We commissioned Ipsos MORI to conduct research to bring parents into this discussion.
Left Behind In Lockdown
November 2020
In October 2020, Parent Zone carried out research with Ipsos MORI to understand how families have been coping during Covid-19. We surveyed more than 1,000 UK parents of children aged 17 and under, to find out how lockdown restrictions had impacted them.
The Rip-Off Games
August 2019
The business model of the gaming industry has changed. Using techniques borrowed from the gambling industry, children are enticed to keep on paying – not just playing. We took a closer look at the financial impact on children and young people.
Skin Gambling
June 2018
Since 2015 gamers have been able to win or trade 'skins', and to then gamble these virtual items on largely unregulated sites. We set out to explore the scale of under-18s. skin gambling, as well as what needs to happen to prevent the transition from gaming to gambling.
Parenting in the Digital Age
October 2017
How can parents navigate conflicted messaging about digital parenting? And how can professionals support families in meeting the challenges of the digital age? To help answer these questions, we decided to ask the children themselves.
Ordinary Magic for the Digital Age
October 2017
It's instinct to want to protect children from online risks and harms. But if tech and safety tools are only part of the solution, what role can 'digital resilience' play? After our 2014 report into digital resilience, Rachel Rosen revisits the area to see what has changed.
The Perfect Generation
2016
The impact the online world has on young people's mental health is a common concern. In this report, we speak to young peple who have grown up with technology – to hear their views, so that we can begin thinking about how best to support those who care for them and educate them.
Building children's online resilience
2014
We worked with Dr Andrew Przybylski and the Oxford Internet Institute to examine children's digital resilience. We looked at how children can be encouraged to develop their resilience, and how they can be given the tools to meet the challenges of online life.