Almost a third of children are talking to strangers online each week.
That's according to findings from a new survey by CyberSafeIreland, who carried out the research with over 5,000 children, parents and teachers who have attended training sessions it hosts over the last academic year.
Here are some of the key findings:
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- 13% of children are spending over four hours online
- Over 50% of nine year old children are on social media, despite age restrictions.
- 32% of children are talking to strangers online weekly
- 18% are speaking to strangers online every day
- 30% of children have not discussed online safety with their parents
- 68% of 8-13 year olds own a smartphone
- 70% use social media and messaging apps.
The research also revealed that over 40% of eight and nine-year-olds are playing over-18s games. The report highlights that this can expose children to highly inappropriatte and potentially damaging content.
CyberSafeIreland’s CEO Alex Cooney said: “Our data highlights the need to start education programmes with both parents and children from a young age with a focus on children embracing a more positive use of technology.
Once kids are online, once they've got devices... parents do need to be checking in with them; making sure there's good ground rules around use; and having regular conversations about what the children are seeing and doing online.
“It’s also high time that social media companies did more to protect under-age users, and in the absence of these well-resourced companies stepping up to the plate then the government should appoint a Digital Safety Commissioner to enforce greater corporate responsiveness,” she added.
You can access the full report here.
