Mobile & Internet... Or TV?
For the first time 12-15s say they would miss their mobile (28%) and the internet (25%) more than TV (18%), according to new Ofcom research.
However, they are also watching more TV than ever before, with viewing figures increasing by two hours since 2007.
In 2010 children aged 4-15 watched an average of 17 hours and 34 minutes of TV per week, compared with 15 hours and 37 minutes in 2007.
Nearly one third (3%) of children aged 5-15 who use the internet at home are watching TV via an online catch-up service on their PC/laptop, such as the BBC iPlayer or ITV Player.
Ofcom’s research also reveals that more than nine out of ten (95%) 12-15 year olds now have internet access at home through a PC or laptop, up from 89% in 2010 and 77% in 2007.
Social networking is still one of the most popular uses of the internet amongst 12-15s, although the number of children with social networking profiles has stayed static since 2010 at 3% of 5-7s who use the internet at home, 28% of 8-11s and 75% of 12-15s.
However, children are visiting social network sites more often on their mobiles, driven by the increase in smart phone ownership. Half (50 %) of 12-15s with a smartphone visit them weekly compared with 33% in 2010.
While 12-15s are using the internet for social networking sites, 8-11s are more likely to use it for gaming, with 51% saying they play games online on a weekly basis, up from 44% in 2010.
8-11s are also spending more time playing on games players/ consoles compared with 2010 (9 hours 48 minutes – an increase of nearly two hours).
Taking computer and video games together, seven in ten (68%) 8-11s say they play games almost every day, up from 59% in 2010.
Among 5-7s, almost half (48%) say that television is the medium they would miss the most, compared to 25% naming playing computer/video games, and less than one in ten naming either the internet (7%) or mobile phones (1%). The research shows that 95% of this age group watch TV almost every day, compared to 43% using the internet, and 7% using a mobile phone.
Parents are generally very confident about their children using the internet safely and the vast majority of children aged 8-15 feel that they know how to stay safe online (88%) and that they are confident internet users (97%). However with increasing use of media, there remain some safety issues.
A fifth of all 12-15 year olds said they’d had a negative mobile or online experience in the past year, with gossip being spread (13%) being the most common issue. Girls are more likely to know someone who has had gossip spread about them (44% of girls compared with 29% of boys). A quarter of teenagers (23%) say that they know someone who has been bullied through their mobile phone, rising to 30% of teenage girls.
A substantial minority of children still have social networking profiles which are either open or set to where friends of friends can see it – 28% of 12-15s and 17% of 8-11s.
And 18% of children who play games online play against people they don’t know personally, with boys aged 5-15 are more likely to do this than girls (24%compared to 7% of girls).
However, the research also reveals that in some areas parents of children who use the internet at home are increasing their supervision and protection.
Over half (54%) of parents of 5-15s supervise their child in some way when they’re online – up from 48% in 2010. And four in ten (39%) parents say that internet controls or filtering software are fitted, rising to 59% when asked about specific controls such as ‘safe search’ and YouTube safety mode.
For mobile phones, one in three (31%) parents whose child has a web enabled mobile has limited their access to exclude websites aimed at those aged 18 or over.
Children are also becoming more aware of potential risks, with 12% of 8-11s with a social networking profile saying they talk to people not directly known to them, down from 22% in 2010 (24% of 12-15s, down from 32% in 2010).
And there has been an increase in the use of access controls for multichannel TV via a PIN or password, from 36% of multichannel households in 2010 to 44% in 2011.
Ed Richards, Ofcom Chief Executive, said: “The almost universal use of the internet at home by 12-15s – both for their education as well as their entertainment – is a positive step forward.
“The research also shows that parents and children are increasingly aware of how to be safe when using the internet. But risks do remain. Better understanding – amongst parents as well as their children – is key to helping people to manage content and communications, enabling them to enjoy the benefits of media use while protecting themselves from the potential risks.”
IMAGE: smileham
