Chatting, watching videos, looking for information: Almost all children and young people between the ages of 6 and 18 (98 percent) use a smartphone or tablet. Even the youngest children between 6 and 9 years old (95 percent) use at least one of these two devices. With these or other devices, Germany's children and young people aged 6 and over spend an average of almost two hours (111 minutes) online every day.
The time spent online increases sharply with age: 6 to 9 year olds spend an average of 49 minutes per day on the Internet and 10 to 12 year olds spend an hour and 27 minutes on the Internet. Young people aged 13 and over spend over two hours online: 13 to 15 year olds 2 hours and 20 minutes, 16 to 18 year olds 2 hours and 46 minutes. This is the result of a representative study commissioned by the digital association Bitkom, for which more than 900 children and young people between the ages of 6 and 18 were surveyed.
The information is based on self-reports from children and young people, with the younger ones in the presence of their parents. “Children and young people grow up with smartphones and the Internet as a matter of course,” says Bitkom Managing Director Dr. Bernhard Rohleder. “They need to be supported and instructed at an early stage so that they can move confidently and independently in the digital world.”
Children are coming into contact with smartphones and tablets at an increasingly early age
Children and young people come into contact with digital media and devices very early on. 88 percent of 6 to 18 year olds spend time on the Internet at least occasionally. Almost as many (87 percent) use a smartphone independently or together with their parents. 8 out of 10 children and young people (80 percent) use tablets - especially those between the ages of 6 and 9 (86 percent). Tablet usage decreases slightly with age. 85 percent of 10 to 12 year olds use tablets, and 74 percent of 16 to 18 year olds use tablets.
Smartphones, on the other hand, are part of everyday life from primary school age onwards: While 66 percent of 6 to 9 year olds use smartphones, the figure is 92 percent of 10 to 12 year olds and from the age of 12 onwards there is hardly a child without a smartphone.
Many children and young people have their own device at an early age: 36 percent of 6 to 9 year olds say they own a tablet, and from 10 years of age it is more than half. Overall, one in two people between the ages of 6 and 18 owns a tablet (50 percent). Smartphone ownership (total: 71 percent) also increases rapidly with age: while 21 percent of 6 to 9 year olds own their own cell phone, the figure is already 86 percent among 10 to 12 year olds and 13 percent. up to 15 year olds even 95 percent.
In a long-term comparison, according to the Bitkom study, children and young people come into contact with digital devices at an increasingly early age. In 2014, only 20 percent of 6 to 7 year olds occasionally used a smartphone; currently the figure is 64 percent. Among 10 to 11 year olds, the usage rate rose from 57 percent in 2014 to 87 percent in 2022. Cell phone use is also more pronounced among 16 to 18 year olds today and has increased from 88 percent (2014). another nine percentage points to 97 percent.
Messenger and streaming services are the most popular among young people
Children and young people between the ages of 10 and 18 prefer to spend their time online chatting or streaming videos. More than 8 out of 10 children and young people send chat messages at least occasionally (86 percent) and watch films, series, etc. (83 percent) online. 71 percent listen to the radio or music and 69 percent look for information about school or training. 6 out of 10 play online games (61 percent). 4 out of 10 children and young people aged 10 and over find out about current political, economic or social news (38 percent). Around a quarter shop online (23 percent).
YouTube is the most used online platform
The great popularity of videos and streaming is reflected in platform usage: the video portal YouTube dominates across all age groups. 82 percent of 10 to 18 year olds use the website or app at least now and then. Instagram follows a long way behind. Just over half (54 percent) are active on this social platform - but usage increases significantly with age: While only 17 percent of 10 to 12 year olds spend time on Instagram, the same figure is among 13 to 15 -year-olds already 60 percent and 84 percent for 16 to 18 year olds. TikTok (total: 50 percent), on the other hand, loses interest with age.
Although almost two thirds of 13 to 15 year olds (63 percent) use the video platform, only half of those between 16 and 18 years of age (52 percent) use the video platform. Interest in Facebook and Twitter is significantly lower: only 12 percent of 10 to 18 year olds use Twitter and 11 percent use Facebook. From 3 percent and 4 percent respectively among 10 to 12 year olds, the values among 16 to 18 year olds rise to 21 percent for Twitter and 17 percent for Facebook.
When it comes to short message services and messenger apps, WhatsApp dominates communication. Here, 82 percent of 10 to 18 year olds often send text, picture or voice messages, and another 10 percent sometimes send them. Snapchat follows a long way behind, with 52 percent communicating about it often or sometimes. About one in four people in this age group (23 percent) still uses the iPhone-based service iMessage at least sometimes, and one in five people (20 percent) uses Skype. Other services such as Facebook Messenger (12 percent) or Telegram (8 percent) are used by very few people.
69 percent pay attention to their privacy on social networks
Many children and young people say they pay attention to their privacy. 69 percent of 10 to 18 year olds who use at least one social network know how they can actively change their privacy settings there. 22 percent know that such settings exist, but not how to change them. Only 6 percent are unaware of the possibility. Those who know how to do it often use it: 83 percent of children and young people with the relevant prior knowledge have already actively changed their privacy settings.

In general, children and young people have many positive experiences on the Internet
68 percent of 10 to 18 year olds think it's good to be able to always be in touch with friends or their class online. Around one in three people (31 percent) have made new friends online. In addition, almost two thirds (64 percent) were able to expand their knowledge online and a quarter (25 percent) improved their performance in school or training. Whether for social life, learning or simply for entertainment: 6 out of 10 children and young people (59 percent) cannot imagine never being online again.
45 percent have had negative experiences on the Internet
However, 35 percent of 10 to 18 year olds feel like they spend too much time online. And negative experiences are also part of it for them: 45 percent have already had bad experiences while using the Internet. 19 percent have seen content that instilled fear in them. Around one in six (17 percent) has been insulted or bullied at some point - among 12 to 13 year olds, almost a quarter (23 percent) say they have been the victim of bullying or insults online. 12 percent of 10 to 18 year olds say that lies have been spread about them.
Sexual harassment is a problem that primarily affects girls: almost one in ten girls between the ages of 10 and 18 has been sexually harassed online by their peers (9 percent), and one in 20 girls has been sexually harassed by adults (5 percent). Boys, on the other hand, are confronted with this much less often (1 percent and 2 percent, respectively). “The protection of children and young people must also be improved in the digital world. What is needed here is not only education from parents and schools, but also better technical and human resources for the police and investigative authorities,” says Rohleder.
Control by parents decreases as children and young people get older
As expected, the role of parents in media use decreases sharply with age. Three quarters (76 percent) of 6 to 9 year olds and 58 percent of 10 to 12 year olds are only allowed to be online for a certain amount of time. This applies to 3 out of 10 of 13 to 15 year olds (30 percent), and only 5 percent of 16 to 18 year olds. Overall, 4 out of 10 children and young people aged 6 and over (41 percent) receive time guidelines.
31 percent also receive a complete online ban from their parents - 39 percent of 6 to 9 year olds, but only 9 percent of 16 to 18 year olds. Furthermore, 44 percent of young people between the ages of 16 and 18 say that their parents do not prohibit them from using the Internet - among 6 to 9 year olds, only 2 percent have full freedom. Overall, a fifth of 6 to 18 year olds (19 percent) say they are not told anything.
“It won't work without controls and bans, but education is the most important tool for digital support and education.” However, only 59 percent of children and young people are told by their parents what is and is not allowed online. For 6 to 9 year olds it is 60 percent and for 16 to 18 year olds it is just under half (47 percent). The posting of private content is particularly discussed by parents with their 12 to 15-year-old children (75 percent) - overall, 59 percent of all children and young people talk about it. In general, only a third (34 percent) of parents regularly talk to their children about their online experiences.
“At a young age, it is particularly important that media use is actively discussed and that parents move in the digital world together with their children,” advises Rohleder. “But educational opportunities must also be created to support parents. Digital technologies must not be taboo, especially in kindergartens, daycare centers and primary schools, but must be integrated into children's everyday lives in a playful way. Children and young people need a safe space where they can learn how to use digital technologies in a healthy way and address experiences with violence and bullying online. Mandatory training measures and digital teaching materials help educators to create this space.”
Presentation: “Children & Youth Study 2022”> Download
Source: Bitkom
Also read: Too little online time is also not good for young people
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