When Rob and Zareen Cope's four children began wanting phones and screens, the pair decided to dive into the research. They travelled overseas talking with experts and made a documentary. Today, the Cope's company - Our Kids Online - educates parents about the dangers of handheld devices and the internet-age, and how best to mitigate them. They spoke to around 500 parents in Wellington last night.

Parents need to take more control over their children's online activity, a Kiwi couple who run an online education, company say.

When Rob and Zareen Cope's four children began wanting phones and screens, the pair decided to dive into the research.

They travelled overseas talking with experts and made a documentary Our Kids Online: Porn, Predators & How to Keep Them Safe about it.

Their company, Our Kids Online, educates parents about the dangers of handheld devices and social media.

Wherever children gather online, so too potentially will predators, Rob Cope told Nine to Noon.

"We need to create a safe place in our homes so that if something has gone down with our kids, they feel like they can come and talk to us about it," he said.

If a child has, for example, sent a nude there will be a lot of shame attached to it, he said.

"They're very unlikely to tell their parents, but we need to create a space in our homes where we say to our kids, hey, if you're ever exposed to something online that either scares you, or it's sexual in nature, you just need to talk about it, come and have a chat to me, I want to walk you through this. And then it's just a matter of without shame, having the conversation with the kid."

He doesn't believe children should be on social media before the age of 16.

"We need to do the research and look at how it's affecting the mental health of our kids. Last year the state of Utah made social media 18 plus, it's now illegal to sign up in Utah unless you're over 18 years old. The mayor of New York City in February this year, filed lawsuits against all the major social media companies for the destruction of the mental health of the youth because they're paying out over $100 million a year trying to help these kids.

"Australia's looking at the moment and making it a 16 plus. A lot of experts in New Zealand are saying social media should be a 16, if not an 18 plus for kids, because they're just not ready for it."

The pressure from children and their friends to be on social media does not trump parental responsibility, he said…

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details