Children have many ways to be connected to technology these days, from smart televisions and games, to using iPads and tablets in school.
However the main device children are using is smartphones, leading many parents to restrict and monitor how they're accessing the internet.
A new national study carried out by Vodaphone Ireland has shown that two-thirds of respondents (66 per cent) admitted they are concerned about their online safety and do not feel confident in how to protect themselves.
Parents are top of this group, as a survey of 750 parents of children aged 4 - 14 found that 69 per cent of children use connected devices daily, and just under two-thirds (62 per cent) are online for one to three hours per day.
As well as this, almost nine out of 10 Irish parents (88 per cent) worry about the content their child might be seeing online, while 47 per cent are concerned about the lack of control over their internet use.
The leading worry for parents is that their child will be exposed to strangers online (80 per cent), with 66 per cent worried about explicit content and 52 per cent worried their child might be cyber attacked or encounter an online virus.
Well over half of Irish parents (57 per cent) often restrict online access through parental controls or by switching off the internet connections, the study found. For some parents this is also to help their child focus, as 53 per cent feel that it's more difficult for their child to do schoolwork while having access to other online platforms.
Cyber attacks and viruses are still as common as they were when the last generation of young people got used to the internet, as the study found that almost half of Irish people (45 per cent) fell victim to an online virus in the last year.
A further 36% experienced two to three viruses, including spyware, trojans and botnet malware in the last 12 months. Of those who experienced online attacks, 43% were hacked, 22% had their data stolen and 12% suffered financial loss.
Speaking on the findings, ISPCC Childline Chief Executive, John Church said: "Technology and the internet are almost fully embedded in our children's lives today. As a result, they have few opportunities to switch off completely.
"It’s important that children and young people, with the support of their parents and caregivers, talk about the best way to ensure that they are safe online. This interaction could involve conversations about managing the type of content they engage with and about setting time limits for internet access."
