75% Of Parents Say That Keeping Track Of Their Children’s Social Interactions during the Pandemic Is a Major Source of Anxiety

According to a recent consumer survey* commissioned by Smith Micro Software, 75% of parents have indicated that keeping track of their children’s social interactions is a major source of anxiety during the COVID-19 crisis. And while nearly 90% of parents have restricted their children’s in-person socialization to help ease their anxiety, the shift to more online activity is presenting a growing concern. In fact, more than 70% of parents feel helpless when it comes to limiting their child’s screen time, particularly due to online schooling and limited entertainment and socialization options.

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New Study Commissioned By Smith Micro Reveals Major Parental Concerns Regarding Social and Digital Interactions In Light of COVID-19 Crisis. (Graphic: Business Wire)

The study also found that while more than half (59%) of parents indicated that they are more grateful for the technology than ever before to help keep kids connected, more than 60% feel that they need to monitor their child’s internet use more closely but are overwhelmed and don’t know where to start.

Other key findings from the survey include:

• More than 1 out of 3 parents (34%) indicated that their children’s video streaming has increased by 11+ hours each week.
• At least 2 out of 5 parents are using (or would consider using) contact tracing, location tracking, and/or parental control applications.
• Roughly 4 out of 5 parents have utilized tools to monitor their child’s internet usage since the pandemic began.
• More than 1 out of 3 parents estimate that their child spends 4-6 hours per day on educational screen time, and 30% of parents estimate an additional 1-3 hours of non-educational screen time daily. Additionally, roughly 2 out of 5 parents indicated their children were browsing social media or streaming video content when they were supposed to be in online “class”.

“This is a very difficult time for parents as they struggle to find a balance between online and face-to-face social interactions, while also considering the risks involved,” said William W. Smith, Jr., President and CEO of Smith Micro. “As children become even more reliant on digital solutions to help them from an educational and social development standpoint during these challenging times, we’re thrilled that our comprehensive family safety solution, SafePath®, can help connected families manage screen time, balance app usage, and block inappropriate digital content when necessary.”

A research brief containing additional key findings and a listing of all survey data is available for download here.

* The survey was conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Smith Micro Software. See below for the methodology.

Survey Methodology

This random double-opt-in survey was conducted by OnePoll – a market research company and corporate member of both the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR) – and adheres to the Marketing Research Society (MRS) code of conduct. The survey was conducted online within the United States from August 20 – September 2, 2020. The sample consisted of 2,000 adults (ages 18 and older) parents of one or more school-aged children (ages 5-18 years). For more information about OnePoll’s research in the media, navigate to their portfolio here.

About SafePath®

Comprised of SafePath Family, SafePath IoT, and SafePath Home, the SafePath product suite provides comprehensive and easy-to-use tools to protect digital lifestyles and manage connected devices. As a carrier-grade, white-label solution, SafePath empowers wireless service providers and cable operators to bring to market full-featured, on-brand family safety solutions that provide in-demand services such as location tracking and parental controls to mobile subscribers. Delivered to end users as value-added services, SafePath-based solutions activate new revenue opportunities for service providers while helping to increase brand affinity and reduce subscriber churn. Learn more at smithmicro.com/safepath.

About Smith Micro Software, Inc.

Smith Micro develops software to simplify and enhance the mobile experience, providing solutions to some of the leading wireless service providers and cable MSOs around the world. From enabling the family digital lifestyle to providing powerful voice messaging capabilities, our solutions enrich today’s connected lifestyles while creating new opportunities to engage consumers via smartphones and consumer IoT devices. The Smith Micro portfolio also includes a wide range of products for creating, sharing and monetizing rich content, such as visual voice messaging, optimizing retail content display and performing analytics on any product set. For more information, visit smithmicro.com.

SafePath, Smith Micro, and the Smith Micro logo are registered trademarks of Smith Micro Software, Inc. All other trademarks and product names are the property of their respective owners.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements regarding future events or results, including statements related to the benefits that we believe our products will offer to our customers, and statements using such words as “expect,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “plan,” “intend,” “could,” “will” and other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Among the important factors that could cause or contribute to such differences are changes resulting from or relating to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, including changes in consumer behavior, changes in our customers’ retail store operations and/or changes in health and safety recommendations and requirements, changes in customer or platform requirements and limitations on our ability to compete effectively with other software and technology companies. These and other factors discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our filings on Forms 10-K and 10-Q, could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are made on the basis of the views and assumptions of management, and we do not undertake any obligation to update these statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this release.

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