Evolutionary Insights into Digital Ecologies of Fear: Survey

The internet is a virtual social environment, where it can be difficult to discern genuine threats. The goal of this research is to develop new insights into parents' perceptions of online risks to their children. The project focuses on the parents of children in middle childhood, ages 6-12. The main goal is to gain insights that will inform the development of digital environments that more accurately align online dangers and parental fears. To address this alignment, this project brings together experts in evolutionary anthropology, computer science, and digital experience design in a novel interdisciplinary collaboration. The project will shed light on a theoretical framing, the digital ecology of fear. The project will advance a burgeoning new area of research and design that can impact cybersecurity for families.<br>