Cox Mobile Survey Shows Teens Want Help Navigating Online Risk

New research reveals a digital disconnect between teens' safety concerns and their online habits

ATLANTA, Aug. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cox Mobile survey, Connecting the Digital Dots: Online Habits and Safety Concerns Across Three Generations, found that teens have faced a range of online security issues over the past year. Those threats include exposure to inappropriate content, privacy violations, cybersecurity threats, online predators, and cyberbullying.

Connection Comes with a Cost, But Also Benefits: While more than one-quarter of teens report feeling stressed, anxious, or isolated due to constant connectivity, many still recognize the value their digital devices bring to daily life.

Teens cited several positive outcomes of being connected, including:

• Staying in touch with friends and family
• Making life more convenient
• Completing schoolwork and learning from home
• Enjoying entertainment like shows, gaming, and music
• Discovering new information or skills
• Sharing updates and building a social network

This balance of benefits and drawbacks highlights the need for guidance, boundaries, and education to help teens navigate the digital world in healthier ways.

"Staying connected shouldn't come at the cost of our teens' mental health or safety," said Colleen Langner, Chief Residential Officer of Cox Communications. "The findings from our Cox Mobile survey are both eye-opening and encouraging. While teens face challenges like online bullying, privacy concerns, and social media stress, they're also actively seeking support and open to learning how to navigate the digital world safely. That's a signal of hope and a call to action."

Safety Starts with Trust: When presented with an online safety issue, most teen respondents will ask for help from a parent or other trusted adult. What's more, 71% reported they would be open to learning more about online safety best practices in a workshop, session, or classroom-type environment.

Encouragingly, most parent respondents said they already have regular, even daily, conversations about online safety with their teens. Their guidance often includes tips like creating strong, unique passwords, enabling multifactor authentication, and removing unsafe apps or channels.

AI is the New Norm: The survey also revealed that 91% of teens use generative AI. They often use it for personal questions, so knowing how to spot false or misleading information is key to a safer experience.

Available Resources: Cox Mobile is committed to empowering families with the tools and knowledge they need for safer, healthier online experiences.

To support that mission, Cox Mobile has worked with experts at Common Sense Media to develop a range of educational materials and resources focused on digital safety, smart device use, and media literacy for all ages. To access these resources and the findings from the Connecting the Digital Dots survey, visit www.CoxMobileSafety.com.

About the Connecting the Digital Dots Survey
Cox Mobile commissioned a blind survey of U.S. teens, seniors, and the sandwich generation in May of 2025 to learn more about their online habits and safety concerns. Respondents to the survey included a total of 500 teens between the ages of 13 and 17, 500 seniors aged 65+, and 600 parents (ages 39 – 59) of teens between the ages of 13 and 17 with aging parents. The margin of error for this survey is +/-4% for each age group.

About Cox Communications
Cox Communications is committed to creating meaningful moments of human connection through technology. As the largest private broadband company in America, we own network infrastructure that reaches more than 30 states. Our fiber-powered wireline and wireless connections are available to more than 12 million homes and businesses and support advanced cloud and managed IT services nationwide. We're the largest division of Cox Enterprises, a family-owned business founded in 1898 by Governor James M. Cox that is dedicated to empowering others to build a better future for the next generation. 

SOURCE Cox Communications