The internet has made us more connected and certain aspects of modern life more accessible. Most of us log on every day for work, but what about our kids?
During the pandemic over 1 billion students were sent home to learn remotely, gaining an uptick in online activity from children. With the rise of more kids being online, there was also an increase in cyberbullying and cybercrime against children by a whopping 144% compared to the previous year.
So how do kids spend time online? What are parents most concerned about when it comes to their child being online? And how can we keep them safe? Let’s explore the topics in this article.
How Kids Spend Their Time Online
Outside of school related projects, kids spend most of their online time on social platforms or games, accessed through a phone, tablet, video game console, or computer.
Social Media
Social platforms allow people to actively connect with one another and have become a staple not only in our adult lives, but also in our children’s lives.
A study conducted in the UK found that in 2022 children between the ages of 3 and 17 spent their time online across the following social media platforms: 88% YouTube, 55% on WhatsApp, 53% on TikTok, 46% on Snapchat, 41% on Instagram, and 34% on Facebook.
Over half of the youths on social media during this time had positive associations with the platforms they used and claimed it made them feel closer to their friends. The study also concluded that girls are considered to be more active on social media, and those between the ages of 12 and 17 are likely to post their own videos on the platforms.
Gaming and Data Collection
The same study discovered that 9/10 kids play some form of video games, whether it’s a puzzle game on a phone or an online multiplayer game on a console. A quarter of the kids that played video games stated playing games is a way to hang out with friends, clearly indicating a social aspect, with 25% of those kids gaming with someone they didn’t know and 22% chatting with a stranger.
Parental Concerns and Personal Data
While parents are still concerned over their kids being bullied online either via social media or games, the majority are concerned about their kids seeing inappropriate content or adult/sexual content online, understandably so. Only 50% of parents are concerned over their child’s personal data being collected.
The “Parenting Generation Game” report, gathered information on the most popular games for kids between the ages of 6 and 10, which can be seen in the graphic below along with the data points collected on children.
What Can We Do To Keep Our Children Safe Online?
There are many things to consider while raising a child in the online and connected world that we have today, but the best way to keep your child safe is through education, parental controls, and boundaries.
Educate yourself on what platforms your child uses, such as what data markers they track, if they have chat capabilities, and other information about the platforms or games. Furthermore, educate your kids on how to be safe online.
While many platforms collect personal data markers on children, it’s important for children to learn not to share personal information online, to spot inappropriate behaviour while chatting online to friends and strangers, and to let them know that they can have an open conversation with you about their online worlds and communities.
If you are interested in learning more about cybersecurity and how to keep yourself and your children safe online, reach out to us at info@459consult.com.
