NJOMACS

As technology becomes an integral part of daily life, understanding parental concerns and developing strategies to ensure children's well-being in the digital realm is of paramount importance. It is against this backdrop that this paper sought to examine parents' perception regarding their children's digital experiences in Abuja, Nigeria. The study was anchored on the Cognitive Behavioural Theory. A survey research design was employed and data were collected from 375 respondents. Data were collected through the administration of structured closed-ended questionnaire instruments and were analysed using descriptive analysis, which were presented in frequency tables and percentages. The findings reveal that a significant proportion of parents (46%) believe their children have unrestricted access to the Internet, indicating the need for vigilant monitoring. Parents perceive the Internet as having a moderate (35%) to very significant influence (33%) on their children's socialisation, suggesting the central role of the online world in shaping adolescents' lives. Additionally, parents express mixed opinions regarding the social and psychological effects of Internet culture on their children, underlining the complexity of this issue. The authors concluded that there is a pressing need for concerted efforts by the government, educational institutions, and parents to foster digital literacy, communication, and mental health support mechanisms for children in Abuja. It was also recommended that parental education, media literacy programmes, mental health support, and the promotion of parental control tools are to be employed to ensure a balanced and secure digital environment for their children.