Are Europe's children too confident in tackling online risks?
Can parents trust their 13-year-old daughter when she surfs the web? Do they know for sure that their 11-year-old son's mobile phone conversation is safe?A European Commission survey of children from all over Europe has looked into how they use new media.
Can parents trust their 13-year-old daughter when she surfs the web? Do they know for sure that their 11-year-old son's mobile phone conversation is safe?
A European Commission survey of children from all over Europe has looked into how they use new media. It shows that the use of internet and mobile phones has become almost self-evident for Europe's young generation. In general, they also know the risks of using the internet and mobile phones. However, when facing trouble online, minors will ask an adult only as a last resort.
Eurobarometer's qualitative survey interviewed children of 9-10 and 12-14 years old from all 27 EU member states plus Norway and Iceland. They were asked indepth about how they use online technologies, and how they would react to problems and risks when using the internet and mobile phones.
The survey shows that children use technologies in very similar ways all across Europe. Online gaming, surfing and communication are considered as the top activities online while texting and talking with parents and friends come out top for young mobile users.
The majority use the internet several times a day, and also own a personal mobile phone. Internet use is to some extent limited by parents while the use of mobile phones is much freer and less supervised.
The results show that children are globally well aware of the potential online risks, such as security, viruses, access to unwanted content, identity theft and potential dangerous contact with strangers.
Many of them are also well aware of the necessary precautions they need to take.
"Don't give your personal data on the internet, nor your mobile phone number to people you don't know" (Girl, 12-14-years-old, Luxembourg)
Some children nevertheless admitted that they have engaged in risky behaviour, and some acknowledged that they have been victims of bullying and had contacts with strangers.
"I met him at a station and then it was an old, nasty 44-year-old man. Then I walked away!" (Boy, 12-14-years-old, Denmark)
Even though young people know about the risks and precautions, most would rather try to solve the problem themselves or with friends, and would talk to their parents only as a last resort in the most serious cases.
Eurobarometer's results will help the Commission to further refine how the EU's Safer Internet programme can best contribute to internet and mobile phone child safety throughout Europe. The EU's Safer Internet programme has been running since 1999, promoting a safer use of online technologies particularly by children, and fighting illegal and harmful content ranging from child abuse images to racism. For more information: http://ec.europa.eu/saferinternet
A European Commission survey of children from all over Europe has looked into how they use new media. It shows that the use of internet and mobile phones has become almost self-evident for Europe's young generation. In general, they also know the risks of using the internet and mobile phones. However, when facing trouble online, minors will ask an adult only as a last resort.
Eurobarometer's qualitative survey interviewed children of 9-10 and 12-14 years old from all 27 EU member states plus Norway and Iceland. They were asked indepth about how they use online technologies, and how they would react to problems and risks when using the internet and mobile phones.
The survey shows that children use technologies in very similar ways all across Europe. Online gaming, surfing and communication are considered as the top activities online while texting and talking with parents and friends come out top for young mobile users.
The majority use the internet several times a day, and also own a personal mobile phone. Internet use is to some extent limited by parents while the use of mobile phones is much freer and less supervised.
The results show that children are globally well aware of the potential online risks, such as security, viruses, access to unwanted content, identity theft and potential dangerous contact with strangers.
Many of them are also well aware of the necessary precautions they need to take.
"Don't give your personal data on the internet, nor your mobile phone number to people you don't know" (Girl, 12-14-years-old, Luxembourg)
Some children nevertheless admitted that they have engaged in risky behaviour, and some acknowledged that they have been victims of bullying and had contacts with strangers.
"I met him at a station and then it was an old, nasty 44-year-old man. Then I walked away!" (Boy, 12-14-years-old, Denmark)
Even though young people know about the risks and precautions, most would rather try to solve the problem themselves or with friends, and would talk to their parents only as a last resort in the most serious cases.
Eurobarometer's results will help the Commission to further refine how the EU's Safer Internet programme can best contribute to internet and mobile phone child safety throughout Europe. The EU's Safer Internet programme has been running since 1999, promoting a safer use of online technologies particularly by children, and fighting illegal and harmful content ranging from child abuse images to racism. For more information: http://ec.europa.eu/saferinternet