London Calling Texting Messaging Kids Aren’T Just Using Their Devices for Voice Calls

LONDON CALLING TEXTING MESSAGING KIDS AREN’T JUST USING THEIR DEVICES FOR VOICE CALLS

http://dailyink.com/features/6Chix

Seventh and Eighth Grade Parent Technology Session Colin Bridgewater, Middle School Technology Coordinator 18 April 2012 • 8:30 am and 7:00 pm

Wednesday, April 18, 2012 1 EU Kids Online Final Report EXECUTIVE SUMMARY September 2011

The EU Kids Online survey Results of a detailed survey of 25,000 European children s The EU Kids Online network has conducted a unique, Opportunities and risks online detailed, face-to-face survey in homes with 9-16 year go hand in hand and their parents in 25 countries between 2009-11. old internet users from 25 countries; 25,142 children s Efforts to increase opportunities may also increase and their parents were interviewed during 2010. risks, while efforts to reduce risks may restrict children’s s The purpose was to provide a rigorous evidence base opportunities. A careful balancing act, which recognises to support stakeholders in their efforts to maximise children’s online experiences “in the round”, is vital. online opportunities while minimising the risk of harm s Risky opportunities allow children to experiment associated with internet use. online with relationships, intimacy and identity. This is vital for growing up if children are to learn to cope Efforts to increase opportunities may also increase Going online is thoroughly with the adult world. embedded in children’s lives s But risky opportunities are linked to vulnerability as well as resilience, depending on both the design of the online risks, while efforts to reduce risks may restrict s Internet use is increasingly individualised, privatised environment, and on the child and their circumstances. and mobile: 9-16 year old internet users spend 88 minutes per day online, on average. s Social networking sites (SNSs) enable children to communicate and have fun with their friends, but not children’s opportunities. A careful balancing act, s 49 per cent go online in their bedroom, 33 per cent everyone has the digital skills to manage privacy and go online via a mobile phone or handheld device, personal disclosure and many 9-12 year olds use and most use the internet at home (87 per cent) and SNSs underage, including 20 per cent on Facebook school (63 per cent). which recognises children’s online experiences and 38 per cent using SNSs overall. “in the round”, is vital.

Not all gain all the beneﬁts s Children vary in which activities they take up earliest and they vary in the combination of activities they practise, resulting in a ladder of opportunities in which only a quarter, and few younger children, reach the most advanced and creative step. Parental mediation can help Social networking sites (SNSs) enable children to 44 per cent of 9-16 year olds say it is ‘very true’ that ‘there s s Parents recognise that it is valuable for them to engage are lots of things on the internet that are good for children with their child’s internet use, and they employ a wide of my age’, though younger children are less satisﬁed with range of strategies, depending partly on the age of the online provision: only 34 per cent of 9-10 year olds say this. communicate and have fun with their friends, but child. But some parents do not do very much, even for s Inequalities in digital skills persist in terms of SES, age young children, and there are some children who do and, to a lesser degree, gender, so efforts to overcome not want their parents to take more interest. not everyone has the digital skills to manage these are needed; part of the solution lies in the improved s Children are generally positive about their parents’ design of end-user tools and interfaces. actions, although a third says they sometimes ignore what their parents say about using the internet. privacy and personal disclosure and many 9-12 Parents who practise more restrictive regulation have children who encounter fewer risks and less harm – but also fewer online opportunities. year olds use SNSs underage, including 20 percent

2 s EU KIDS ONLINE FINAL REPORT on Facebook and 38 percent using SNSs overall.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012 2 Some recent findings from the EU Kids Online report to put things in context. Children encounter a range of online risks s 12 per cent of European 9-16 year olds say that they have been bothered or upset by something on the internet – but most children do not report being bothered or upset by going online.s 50 per cent of 11-16 year olds “find it easier to be myself on the internet”, helping to explain why 30 per cent have contact s Exposure to sexual images occurs offline as well as online, but online with someone they haven’t met face-to-face. But only for some children and in some countries it is spreading online; 9 per cent have met an online contact offline, and very few more children who go online via a personal device have seen found this a problematic experience. sexual images or received sexual messages. It is important to support children’s s Public anxiety often focuses on pornography, “sexting”, bullying s Half of online bullies say they have also bullied people face-and meeting strangers, especially for young children. But there to-face, and half of online bullying victims have been bullied are other risks that worry children, including many teenagers, face-to-face; also, among those who have bullied others online,especially those associated with user-generated content. capacity to cope themselves, thereby nearly half have themselves been bullied online.

Countries can be grouped into building resilience for digital citizens. four categories s “Lower use, lower risk” countries (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Hungary). Children often tell a friend, followed by a s “Lower use, some risk” countries (Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Turkey). s “Higher use, some risk” countries (Cyprus, Finland, parent, when something online upsets the Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, the UK). Risk must be distinguished s “Higher use, higher risk” countries (Bulgaria, the from harm Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania, Norway, them, and they try a range of proactive s Children who are older, higher in self-efficacy and Romania, Sweden), where the Eastern European sensation seeking, who do more online activities (ie, countries are better called, “New use, new risk”. are higher on the ladder of opportunities) and who s A country’s socio-economic stratification, regulatory have more psychological problems encounter more framework, technological infrastructure and strategies online, though these don’t risks of all kinds online. educational system all shape children’s online risks. s But children who are younger, lower in self-efficacy s High internet use in a country is rarely associated with and sensation seeking, who do fewer online activities, low risk; and high risk is rarely associated with low use; always work and some children are have fewer skills, and who have more psychological rather, across countries, the more use, the more risk. problems find online risks more harmful and upsetting. s It is important to support children’s capacity to Conclusions cope themselves, thereby building resilience for more fatalistic in their responses to s The report concludes by debunking the top 10 myths digital citizens. Children often tell a friend, followed of children and online risk. by a parent, when something online upsets them, and they try a range of pro-active strategies online, s It then offers a series of evidence-based recommendations though these don’t always work and some children to governments, industry, parents, educators, awareness- online harm. are more fatalistic in their responses to online harm. raisers, civil society bodies, child welfare organisations and children themselves.

More information EU Kids Online reports, all questionnaires and technical survey information, and the dataset (cross-tabulations, raw data ﬁles) are available from www.eukidsonline.net

KEY FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS

EU KIDS ONLINE FINAL REPORT s 3

Wednesday, April 18, 2012 3 HOW CHILDREN GO ONLINE

Going online is now thoroughly embedded in children’s daily lives. 88: the average minutes online the average minutes online Going online is increasingly privatised. The graph below shows per day for 9-16 year olds. the percentage of children who access the internet either via a mobile or handheld device or via access in the child’s bedroom. 15-16 year olds spend 118 Depending on country circumstances, different contexts for per day for 9-16 year olds. minutes online per day, twice as long as privatised use are found across Europe. 9-10 year olds (58 minutes). Almost as many parents as children in a country use the internet daily (see graph opposite), suggesting they are gaining online the average age of ﬁrst internet use experience along with their children; the more this happens, the in Denmark and Sweden, rising to more effectively parents can mediate their children’s internet use. eight in other Northern European s 60 per cent of 9-16 year old internet users in Europe go countries and nine for Europe overall. online daily, and a further 33 per cent go online at least weekly. s Fewer parents use the internet daily – 49 per cent – and the percentage who go online 24 per cent don’t use it at all. in their bedroom. s In countries where parents are more likely to use the internet daily, children are also more likely to do so – and vice versa. 33 per cent go online via a s Usage is highest in the Nordic countries, and lowest in mobile phone or handheld device, and most use the internet at home (87 per cent) then Southern Europe. 49: the percentage who go at school (63 per cent). s The more a parent uses the internet, the more likely is their child to use it often, thus gaining the digital skills and beneﬁts associated with going online. The rise of private/mobile internet use online in their bedroom.

80 EL Average for all 70 children UK 60 DE CY NO IE AT SI 33 per cent go online via a 50 SE BG LT 40 Parents are (almost) keeping PL EE FI CZ DK BE NL pace with their children. The mobile phone or handheld 30 FR PT

HU 20 more they go online, the more RO TR % Mobile phone or a handheld device effectively parents can mediate device, and most use the 10 30 40 50 60 70 80 their children’s internet use % Own bedroom at home internet at home (87 percent), then at school (63 percent). 12 s EU KIDS ONLINE FINAL REPORT

Wednesday, April 18, 2012 4 A quarter of children overall reach this last, most WHAT CHILDREN DO ONLINE advanced and creative step. It includes visiting chatrooms, ﬁle-sharing, blogging and spending time in a The EU Kids Online survey asked children which online activities virtual world. Less than one ﬁfth of 9-12 year olds and they engage in, to understand the opportunities they enjoy and to contextualise online risks only a third of even 15-16 year olds do several of these

A quarter of children overall reach this last, most advanced and creative step. It includes visiting chatrooms, activities. ﬁle-sharing, blogging and spending time in a virtual world. Less than one ﬁfth of 9-12 year olds and only a third of even 15-16 year olds do several of these activities. Across all ages, around a third of children reach this step in Sweden, Cyprus, Hungary and Slovenia.

Step 4 includes playing with others online, 23% OF CHILDREN downloading ﬁlms and music and sharing content peer-to-peer (eg, via webcam or message boards). Across Europe, over half of 9-16 year old internet users reach this point, although only one third of 9-10 56% OF CHILDREN year olds and less than half of 11-12 year olds do so. Children in Sweden, Lithuania, Cyprus, Belgium and Norway are most likely to reach this step. Step 4 includes playing with others online, downloading 75% OF CHILDREN ﬁlms and music and sharing content peer-to-peer (eg, Most children use the internet interactively for communication (social networking, instant messaging, email) and reading/watching the news. This captures the activities of two thirds of 9-10 year olds but just a quarter of 15-16 year olds. Only half of children in Austria, via webcam or message boards). Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Poland and Turkey reach this step.

86% OF CHILDREN

In addition to schoolwork and games, this step adds watching video clips online (eg, YouTube). These are all ways of using the internet as a mass medium – for When children begin to use the internet, the ﬁrst things they do are information and entertainment. Half of 9-10 year olds schoolwork and playing games alone or against the computer. Fourteen Most children use the internet interactively for only get this far, along with a third of 11-12 year olds. per cent don’t get further than this, including nearly a third of 9-10 year olds and a sixth of 11-12 year olds. Also in Turkey, these popular internet uses capture the activities of a quarter of children. communication (social networking, instant messaging, 100% OF CHILDREN email) and reading/watching the news. This captures the activities of two thirds of 9-10 year olds but just a quarter of 15-16 year olds.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012 5 COMMUNICATION type depends on hardware + software + purpose

http://www.kingfeatures.com/features/comics/zits/

Wednesday, April 18, 2012 6 How children communicate with each other often will depend on three factors. Wednesday, April 18, 2012 7 All of our grade 7 and 8 students have school issued laptops, and many of them have a personal phone, as well as access to a home laptop and an iPad or other portable tablet. Wednesday, April 18, 2012 8 Clockwise from middle left: BBM, WhatsApp, iChat, iMessage, Tumbler, Twitter. Facebook is in the middle. Wednesday, April 18, 2012 9 Very few middle school students use Tumblr at ASL, but it is a new trend and worth keeping an eye on. Think of it as something similar to a kids version of Pinterest. Wednesday, April 18, 2012 10 Here is an example of a private group on Facebook for students who went to the same summer camp. If you are “friends” with your child on Facebook, you won’t see this kind of interaction unless you are also in this group. PUBLIC / PRIVATE •Group Wall posts

PRIVATE •one-to-one chats •one-to-one messages •multi-person messages

PUBLIC •Wall posts

All Facebook posts can include images, videos, and sound.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012 11 This is an example of a private FB group for the middle school newspaper editors. It is much more successful than email, because there is just one copy of the discussion and it is easy to follow the thread. It’s better than Athena discussion forums because you can tag people so that they are alerted to a new post, unlike in Athena where you’d have to remember to check to see if there are any updates. Wednesday, April 18, 2012 12 Public ﬁgures use Twitter to communicate with their fans. Justin Bieber’s Twitter account is a mix of personal posts and retweets from fans. Wednesday, April 18, 2012 13 ASL posts far less often than Justin Bieber and generally does not retweet posts from others. Wednesday, April 18, 2012 14 This is the Twitter account from a former ASL student. His account is a mixture of personal posts, retweets, replies to other people’s posts, and 4Square check-ins. Clicking the “reply to...” link on a Tweet will allow you to see the post from the other person to show the thread of the discussion (see next slide). Wednesday, April 18, 2012 15 Now that the conversation is “unpacked” you can see why Ian asked about smelling the ball. If the 4sq.com link was clicked, a map of the location would appear. Likewise, photos and videos can be embedded in Tweets. Wednesday, April 18, 2012 16 iChat has lost popularity as Facebook has taken over much of the instant messaging in text form. However, when kids want to video chat with multiple people at once, iChat still gets some use. WhatsApp: BBM: Blackberry phones only Cross-platform

iMessage: iPhones / iPads only

Wednesday, April 18, 2012 17 BBMs are for Blackberry users only. The WhatsApp discussion is between two iPhone users, one Blackberry user, and one Android user. iMessage is for iPhones and iPads only, but when Apple releases their next OS update, users will be able to see those messages on all of their Apple devices, including desktops and laptops. TOP 10 MYTHS ABOUT Children knowing more than their CHILDREN’S ONLINE RISKS parents has been exaggerated... Digital natives know it all Bullies are baddies Talk of digital natives obscures 1 Children knowing more than their parents has been 5 Most (60 per cent) of those who bully – online or exaggerated – only 36 per cent of 9-16-year olds offline – have themselves been bullied by others, say it is very true that “I know more about the internet than my and 40 per cent of those who bully online have been bullied parents” – 31 per cent say “a bit true”, and two in three 9-10 online. Both those who bully and who are bullied online tend children’s need for support in year olds say “not true”. Talk of digital natives obscures children’s to be more psychologically vulnerable, suggesting a vicious need for support in developing digital skills. cycle of behaviour that damages both victim and perpetrator. developing digital skills. Everyone is creating their People you meet on the 2 own content now 6 internet are strangers In the past month, only one in five used a file-sharing Most (87 per cent) 11-16 year olds are in touch site or created a pet/avatar and half that number wrote a blog. online with people they know face-to-face. Four in ten have Creative activities are rarest among younger children. While social online contacts that they met online but who are connected networking makes it easier to upload content, most children use with their friends or family. A quarter are in touch with people the internet for ready-made, mass produced content. unconnected with their social circle, and 9 per cent met offline someone they first met online. Few went unaccompanied or met someone older and only 1 per cent had a negative Under 13s can’t use social experience. The challenge is to protect children from rare 3 networking sites so no worries but harmful occurrences without limiting the opportunities With 38 per cent 9-12 year olds having an SNS of the majority. profile, it is clear that age limits don’t work. Since many “underage” users registered with a false age, even if the provider did tailor privacy and safety settings to suit young children, they Offline risks migrate online couldn’t identify them. Some young social networkers have 7 Well, in part, the evidence supports this and it is public profiles which display personal information, and some important – children who report more offline risks Most (60 per cent) of those who contact people they haven’t met. Should providers strengthen of various kinds are more likely to report more risk encounters their protections? Or get rid of age limits altogether? online and, significantly, more likely to report harm from online experiences. But, offline risk does not predict all online risk bully – online or offline – have encounters, so it should not be assumed that children not Everyone is watching already identified as at risk offline are not at risk online. We still 4 porn online don’t know all the factors that account for online harm, and Estimates for exposure to pornography online are it is important to see both online and offline risks in context. themselves been bullied by others, lower than many anticipated – a quarter saw sexual images in the past year online or offline, and one in seven saw them online, rising to a quarter of older teens. Even assuming some under-reporting, it seems that media hype over pornography and 40 per cent of those who bully is based on unrepresentative samples or just supposition. online have been bullied online.

42 s EU KIDS ONLINE FINAL REPORT

Wednesday, April 18, 2012 18 53 per cent go online at a friends’ Myths about internet safety tend to exaggerate or over simplify, and they are often out of date house, 49 per cent go online in their

gain resilience. Another is that exploring for information or fun Putting the PC in the living bedroom and 33 per cent go online leads to unexpected risks because the online environment room will help 8 is not designed with children’s interests in mind (too many 53 per cent go online at a friends’ house, 49 per pop-ups, for instance). But more skills could reduce the harm cent go online in their bedroom and 33 per cent go online that some children experience from online risk. via a mobile phone or handheld via a mobile phone or handheld device. So this advice is out of date. It would be better to advise parents to talk to their child about the internet or share an online activity with them. Children can get around 10 safety software device... It would be better to advise In fact, only 28 per cent of 11-16 year olds Teaching digital skills will say they can change ﬁlter preferences. And most say what reduce online risk 9 their parents do in relation to their internet use is helpful (27 More skills are associated with more, not less, per cent a lot, 43 per cent a little). However, it is true that parents to talk to their child about the risk – because more use leads to more skills, more skills lead nearly half think their parents’ actions limit their online activities to more opportunities, and opportunities are linked to risk. while a third say they ignore their parents (7 per cent a lot, One reason that opportunities and risks are linked is because 29 per cent a little). children must explore and encounter some risk to learn and internet or share an online activity with them.

One reason that opportunities and risks are linked is because children must explore and encounter some risk to learn and gain resilience... more skills could reduce the harm that CONTRIBUTING TOWARDS WISER POLICY MAKING some children experience from online EU KIDS ONLINE FINAL REPORT s 43 risk. Wednesday, April 18, 2012 19 Wednesday, April 18, 2012 20 Resources will updated as the year progresses.