Changing dynamics of youth online engagement

Changing dynamics of youth online engagement
What the research tells us
Brian O’Neill – EU Kids Online
Children and Communication International Seminar
Brasilia March 6-8, 2013
EU KIDS ONLINE
Lessons from research
EU Kids Online
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Supported by European Commission
Safer Internet Programme
EU Kids Online aims to enhance
knowledge of the experiences and
practices of European children and
parents regarding risky and safer use of
the internet and online technologies.
The aim is to provide a rigorous evidence
base to support stakeholders in their
efforts to maximize online opportunities
while minimizing the risk of harm.
Detailed face-to-face interviews with
25,000 European 9-16 year old internet
users and their parents in 25 countries.
How children go online
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Internet use is becoming individualised,
privatised and mobile.
9-16 year old internet users spend 88
minutes per day online, on average.
49% go online in their bedroom, 33% via
mobile phone or handheld device. Most use
the internet at home (87%) and school
(63%).
60% of 9-16 year old internet users in
Europe go online daily, and 33% go
online at least weekly.
Children‘s daily internet use is linked
to their parent‘s daily internet use.
Opportunities and risk
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Efforts to increase opportunities may also increase risks,
while efforts to reduce risks may restrict children‘s
opportunities. The two go hand in hand.
Risky opportunities allow children to experiment online
with relationships, intimacy and identity. Risk and harm
are not the same. Risk is important for growing up if
children are to learn to cope with the adult world.
Individual, domestic and cross-cultural factors all shape
children‘s online experiences.
Social networking sites (SNSs) enable children to
communicate and have fun with friends, but not
everyone has the digital skills to manage privacy and
personal disclosure. Many 9-12 year olds use SNSs
underage (20% on Facebook and 38% using SNSs
overall).
Comparing countries
 ―Lower use, lower risk‖
 ―Lower use, some risk‖
 ―Higher use, some risk‖
 ―Higher use, higher risk‖
A country‘s socio-economic
stratification, regulatory framework,
technological infrastructure and
educational systems all shape
children‘s online risks.
Towards a better internet?
More and more effective multi-stakeholder interventions are
needed „to make the internet a better place for kids,‟ (EC Vice
President Neelie Kroes)
1. In some countries, children report lots of good
things and relatively few problems. (e.g., Bulgaria,
UK, Austria)
2. In other countries, children report lots of good
things to do online but also quite a few problems.
(e.g. Greece, Czech Rep.)
3. Then there are countries where children think
there are a fair few problems and not so many
benefits (e.g., Norway, Sweden, Ireland and
Estonia).
4. Last are the countries where children perceive
relatively few benefits or risks of internet use
(e.g., Turkey, Belgium, France).
Comparing user types
By grouping children in the
survey by how they used the
internet, we found six ―user
types‖ with different relations to
online risk.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Low risk novices
Young networkers
Risky explorers
Moderate users
Intensive gamers
Experienced networkers
Digital skills –
the ladder of opportunities
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100% - schoolwork and playing games.
14% don‘t get further up.
86% - using internet as a mass medium,
for information and entertainment.
75% - use internet interactively for
communication and news.
56% - playing with others online,
downloading film and music, sharing
content p2p. Over half of 9-16 year
olds in Europe reach this point.
23% - Includes chatting, blogging,
file-sharing and spending time in a virtual world.
PLATFORM CONVERGENCE
Opportunities for Emerging Countries
Youth Online in Turkey
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Internet access of 48.7% in urban areas
(24% in rural), below European countries
but above most Middle East countries
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26.6% Youth population (0-14 years)
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Gender divides 76.6% of males compared
to 49.9% of females use the internet
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Over a third use cybercafés. Friends‘
homes (37.5%) also popular
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43% use SNS everyday
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Other research points to very high levels
on online gaming (76.7% of males)
Pop: 73 million
76.3% - urban; 23.7% rural
See: UNICEF (2011) Youth of Turkey Online
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Reported risks of malicious software,
pornography and cyberbullying
Russian Digital Landscape
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Rapid growth with current internet
penetration of 43%
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84% of 12-17 year olds are online
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Dominated by Russian-language services
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Most (70%) access from home; just 10%
use cybbercafés; but 45% of 9-16 year
olds have gone online via mobile
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Very high SNS activity – 89% of 9-16 year
olds
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Higher proportion of younger users
blogging (12%) than in European
countries
Pop: 142 million
75% in western or central area
See: UNICEF (2011) The RUnet generation
Youth of Vietnam Online
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A total population of 87 million with
46% under the age of 15
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Internet penetration overall is 35%
but 56% in urban areas1
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A third of Vietnamese internet users
are 15-24 years
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Mobile access to the internet
popular: about 30%
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25% access the internet through
Internet shops or cybercafés
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Online gaming the most popular
activity among urban youth with
concern about lack of regulation and
excessive use
Viet Nam Cimigo NetCitzens Report,‖ Cimigo
See also forthcoming UNICEF DCS study ‗Youth of
Viet Nam Online‘
12011
countries, focusing mainly on developing or emerging economies.
project
starts with aand Safety project a
The The
Digital
Citizenship
data collection phase, during which exploratory, quantitativeby
andthe
qualitative
areat UNICEF, whose mis
Youth studies
Section
conducted to produce evidence-based communication materials, which will raise awareness
technologies including social networking to
on the optimal and safe use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). The
children and
young people to play an active
concept of Digital Citizenship is then advocated at the local government
level through
advocacy workshops, sneminars a d conferences, h
oighlighting hw to C
maximize IT s’ opportunities while minimizing their attendant risks.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child (
Mobile internet use and SNS
in South Africa
and to be heard (Art.12), freedom of expre
The Digital Citizenship and Safety project aligns itself within the scope of work conducted
impart
information
by the Youth Section at UNICEF, whose mission is to work with
traditional
and new (Art.13), the freedom o
technologies including social networking tools, SMS and digital
mapping
to empower (Art.17) amongst othe
right
to information
children and young people to play an active role in society.

ubiquitous, the CRC is highly pertinent whe
The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC, 1989) guarantees
the right to
express views
and sharing
content
online. With the rapid
and to be heard (Art.12), freedom of expression, including therights
freedom
to
seek,
receive
and and clearly appli
should be analyzed
93% mobile penetration among
impart information (Art.13), the freedom of association and peacefully assembly, and the
population of 49 million right to information (Art.17) amongst others. Although drafted before the Internet became
ubiquitous, the CRC is highly pertinent when it comes to young people accessing, posting
and sharing content online. With the rapid development of ICT in the last decade, these
rights should be analyzed and clearly applied to this digital age.
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39% of 16 and older go online from
using mobile devices
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MXit mobile-based IM and SNS
application
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26% experience bullying online
based on race and gender
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Concerns for digital safety arising
from anonymous use
See: UNICEF (2011)
From ‗What‘s your ASLR‘ to ‗Do You
Wanna Go Private?‘
Brazil: internet facts
 74 million internet users in Brazil
Internet penetration in Class A/B
similar to developed countries
(CGI.br ICT Household Survey)
 38% of households with internet
access
 27.7% of population <16 years
Proportion of Internet users
by age
100
90
91
70
60
58
45-59 60 years
years
and
above
96
Brazilian Net
Information
76
35
16
1
21
24
3
3
2009
DE
35-44
years
65
30
2008
25-34
years
64
40
0
16-24
years
90
50
10
10-15
years
90
80
20
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Regiona
2010
C
B
A
5
Center
of Stu
2011
and Commu
Findings from
ICT Kids Online Brazil
Frequency of Internet Usage
 Nearly half of all children go
online every day
Regiona
Percentage of the total number of internet
users aged 9-16
% Every day or almost every day
 Use rises steadily with age
 There are few gender differences
 Steep socio—economic
differences in use of the internet
% Once or twice a week
% Once or twice a month
Girls
47
38
Boys
47
38
9-10 yrs
36
11-12 yrs
13-14 yrs
41
15-16 yrs
32
17
53
45
Class AB
All children
4
9
4
8
4
10
29
47
20
7
Center of Stu
24
7
and
Commu
39
66
38
40
60
4
12
34
56
0
11
12
53
Class C
Brazilian
Net
11
5
Information
45
43
Class DE
% Less often
31
10
80
6
5
100
Where kids go online (Brazil)
Regiona
Location of access to the Internet by children
In a telecenter 1,0
In a public library or… 4,0
Location
of access
by children
Mobile
phone to the Internet
18
Percentage of the total number of Internet users aged 9 to 16
Own room
26
At a friend's home
34
LAN house or cybercafé
35
At a relative's home
38
Living room at home
40
At school
42
At home
60
0
20
40
60
80
Location of access to the Internet by children and SES
A evoluç
evolução da Internet no Brasil
Brazilian Net
Information
Center of Stu
and Commu
What do kids do online?
Regiona
Children‟s online activities in the past month
Percentage of the total number of Internet users aged 9 to 16
82
Used the internet for school work
Visited a social networking profile
68
Watched video clips
68
Brazilian Net
Information
58
Played internet games on your own or against the computer
54
Used instant messaging
49
Sent/received email
44
Downloaded music or films
Read/watched the news on the internet
42
Sent/received email
41
40
Put (or posted) photos, videos or music to share with others
30
Played games with other people on the internet
Center of Stu
and Commu
24
Put (or posted) a message on a website
17
Spent time in a virtual world
16
Created a character, pet or avatar
14
Used a webcam
12
Visited a chatroom
10
Written a blog or online diary
6
Used file sharing sites
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Frequency of activities (11-16)
Regiona
Used instant messaging
Visited a social networking profile
Sent/received email
Brazilian Net
Information
Put (or posted) a message on a website
Watched video clips
Everyday or almost every day
Once or twice a week
Played games with other people on the internet
Once or twice a month
Don't know
Center of Stu
and Commu
Downloaded music or films
Read/watched the news on the internet
Put (or posted) photos, videos or music to share
with others
Used the internet for school work
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90 100
Digital Literacy
Regiona
“I know more about Internet than my parents”
% of total of internet users 9-16
Brazilian Net
Information
Total
Class AB
Very true
A bit true
Not true
Class C
Class DE
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Center of Stu
and Commu
Parental use of the internet
Regiona
Proportion of parents/legal guardians that use the Internet
Brazilian Net
Information
Total
Class AB
Yes
No
Class C
Center of Stu
and Commu
Class DE
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Digital opportunities as a driver of change
A ‘virtuous cycle’ in which digital opportunities
drive better skills and experiences for users
Skills
Key challenges;
 Raising levels of media and information
literacy (MIL)
Digital
learning
 Promoting children's online rights
Digital
opportunities
 Research to better understand children's
lives
 Engaging with industry to promote
platforms for good
 International cooperation to address global
challenges
Learning
opportunities
Creative
Activities
Internet safety
Trust and
confidence
The EU Kids Online Network
 EU Kids Online is a multinational research collaboration.
 Reports and findings can be
freely accessed from:
www.eukidsonline.net