New Research Highlights the Reality of Children’s Digital Lives
Children and young people are spending increasing amounts of time online, bringing both opportunities and challenges for their wellbeing, safety and development.
The latest Internet Matters Pulse report provides valuable insight into how children use digital technology and the impact it is having on their lives. The research, based on a nationally representative survey of children aged 9-17 and parents of children aged 3-17 across the UK, explores online habits, emerging trends and the concerns families face in the digital world.
Key Findings
The report found that children spend an average of 25 hours online each week, using social media, gaming platforms and emerging technologies such as AI chatbots.
While the online world offers opportunities to connect, learn and be creative, many children are also encountering challenges. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of children reported experiencing at least one form of online harm, including exposure to inappropriate or hateful content and feeling pressure online.
Parents continue to play a vital role in helping children navigate the digital world. The research found that parents remain children's main source of support and information when dealing with online issues. However, many parents feel that too much responsibility for keeping children safe online falls on families alone.
The Importance of Digital Resilience
Encouragingly, 66% of parents surveyed rated their child's online safety education at school as good. This highlights the important role that schools, colleges and practitioners play in helping children develop the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to stay safe online.
Supporting children to build digital resilience is becoming increasingly important as online technologies continue to evolve. Effective online safety education can help young people recognise risks, respond appropriately to challenges and make informed decisions about their digital lives.
Why This Matters
Understanding how children and young people engage with technology helps organisations, schools and families provide the right support at the right time. The findings reinforce the need for a shared approach to online safety, with parents, schools and wider services working together to help children enjoy the benefits of being online while reducing potential harms.
For more information and to read the full report, visit the Internet Matters Pulse website.
To support your practice alongside these findings, Barnardo's have an online risk guide that you can use covering key topics like harmful content and social media pressure. To access the guide, visit: Barnardo's online risk guide | Home