Current research shows low starting ages and the associated challenges for families.
0 to 6 year olds on the Internet: In the morning at breakfast the parents quickly check their emails on their smartphones, in the afternoon the big brother plays his latest online challenge on the laptop and in the evening there is an episode of the favorite cartoon series on the tablet before Alexa turns on the light What makes this happen: Internet-enabled devices are now present in children's everyday lives practically from birth.
As part of the Saferinternet.at initiative, the Austrian Institute for Applied Telecommunications (ÖIAT) and ISPA – Internet Service Providers Austria commissioned a study on the topic of “The very youngest and digital media”, the results of which were presented today.
Very early first contact with digital media
Today, households with children under 6 years of age have an average of 4 to 5 internet-enabled devices. Already 72 percent of children between 0 and 6 years old and 81 percent of 3 to 6 year olds use them themselves at least occasionally. Compared to 2013 (41%), there has been a doubling in the 3 to 6 year old age group .
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On average, children in this group come into contact with digital media for the first time at the age of one year. 72 percent of parents say their child was even younger when they first used an internet-enabled device.
The children most often use the tablet (32%), followed by the smartphone (30%) and the internet-enabled television (21%). Computers and laptops now only play a minor role at 4 percent.
Usage behavior of the very youngest
The main digital activities are watching videos (73%), looking at photos (61%), listening to music (61%) and playing games (51%). Half of the children use their parents' device, 28 percent use a family device. 22 percent of children under 6 years of age already have their own device.
33 percent of children use an internet-enabled device every day. 46 percent say their child does this several times a week. Compared to 2013 (15% daily and 30% several times a week), a significant increase in the frequency of use can be observed here.
“Parents are faced with a big but important task, especially when it comes to their youngest children’s use of media. Misusing devices as a 'digital pacifier' or coming into contact with unsuitable content are typical risks in this age group,” says Matthias Jax, Saferinternet.at project manager.
Media education as a challenge in everyday family life
Even if young parents had their first experiences with the Internet as children, they can hardly rely on experiences from their own childhood when it comes to media education in the digital age.
Overall, however, around three quarters of parents are aware that they have a great role model effect when using internet-enabled devices. 9 out of 10 parents also take precautions before allowing their child to use an internet-enabled device. These include, for example, time restrictions (44%), restrictions on certain apps/sites (42%) and child protection apps or programs (39%). 57 percent say they are always there when their child uses the device.
“These results happily show that today's generation of parents is increasingly concerned about how children use digital media and is interested in supporting them. This is exactly where we as Saferinternet.at see a starting point for support so that every child can use the possibilities of the Internet optimally and without fear,” explains Maximilian Schubert, Secretary General of ISPA.
When young children use digital media, it is crucial to find age-appropriate content and applications for the young ones. Parents have different experiences: While 52 percent find it easy or very easy, more than a quarter (28 percent) of those surveyed find it difficult or even very difficult to find suitable content.
Conflicts over digital devices in the family
Finding a good way to use digital media in the family is a constant negotiation process in everyday life. 23 percent of fathers and mothers report differences of opinion among themselves. 18 percent of parents have conflicts with their children because they don't want to stop using devices. What is striking is that just as many children (17%) complain that their parents or other adults around them spend too much time on digital devices.
14 percent of parents say that their child needs to use digital devices like a ritual in certain situations. 11 percent say that their child finds it difficult to keep themselves busy without digital devices. At the same time, half of the parents (49%) are of the opinion that children in this age group generally spend too long on digital devices. In addition, one in five parents (20%) have a guilty conscience that they keep their child silently occupied with the Internet too often.
37 million images and videos of Austrian children on the Internet
It is now part of everyday life for small children to have pictures taken of them and shared online. 48 percent of parents do this at least weekly. 10 percent even share photos or videos online with family or others every day. Extrapolated over a year, that's around 37 million photos of small children in Austria.
The children pictured are getting younger and younger: 30 percent of parents say that they sent an ultrasound picture before birth, for example. “Parental pride makes many forget that children also have a right to privacy. Especially when it comes to photos, there seems to be little awareness that they can appear on the Internet in an undesirable context and cause damage,” emphasizes Barbara Buchegger, educational director of Saferinternet.at.
About the study
The study “The Very Youngest and Digital Media” was carried out by the Institute for Empirical Social Research (IFES) on behalf of the Austrian Institute for Applied Telecommunications (ÖIAT) and ISPA – Internet Service Providers Austria as part of the Saferinternet.at initiative. 400 parents of children between 0 and 6 years old were surveyed. Comparative data for the 3 to 6 year old age group is available from a Saferinternet.at survey from 2013 . The study was supplemented with practical experience from Saferinternet.at workshops.
About Saferinternet.at
Saferinternet.at supports children, young people, parents and teachers in using digital media safely, competently and responsibly. On our website www.saferinternet.at you will find current information and practical tips on topics such as social networks, cyber-bullying, sexuality & the Internet, data protection, copyrights, internet fraud, media education, etc. In addition, Saferinternet.at offers tailor-made workshops in schools or at parents' evenings as well as free guides and brochures and much more. Saferinternet.at is the Austrian information point in the EU's Safer Internet Network (Insafe) and is implemented by the ACR Institute ÖIAT in cooperation with ISPA . Financing is provided by the EU Commission's "CEF/Safer Internet" program, the Federal Ministry of Labor, Family and Youth, the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research, the Federal Ministry for Digitalization and Economic Location as well as sponsors from business such as A1 and Facebook. Detailed information on all Saferinternet.at activities can be found at www.saferinternet.at . If you have any questions or suggestions about Saferinternet.at, you can send an email to office@saferinternet.at.
Source: Saferinternet
Article image: Shutterstock / By Foxy burrow
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