Elena AristodemouCyprus Neuroscience & Technology

Institute

(co-authors: Tatjana Taraszow and Yiannis Laouris)

Child and Youth Research in the 21st Century: A Critical Appraisal

28-29 May 2008

The EU Kids Online is a project funded by the EC Safer Internet plus Program

The EU Kids Online project (2006-2009) examines research carried out in 21 member states of the European Union on how children and young people use the internet and new media.

This three-year collaboration aims to identify comparable research findings across Europe to evaluate the social, cultural and regulatory influences affecting both risks and children’s and parents' responses to them. It charts available data, indicates gaps and identifies factors that shape the research capability of European research institutions.

Last it examines methodological issues that relate to cross-cultural analyses and the study of children’s online experience in order to develop a best practice guide to research.

What research exists, and what research is still needed?

What risks exist, for which technologies, and in relation

to which subpopulations?

How do social, cultural and regulatory influences affect the incidence, the experience and the responses to different risks?

In accounting for current and ongoing research and anticipating future research, what factors shape the research capability of European research institutions and networks?

To identify and assess the quality and comparability of data (recent or ongoing) across Europe regarding children’s access to and use of the internet and new online technologies, noting gaps in the evidence base.

To understand the research itself in context, assessing the reasons why certain types of research are available (or not) in each nation, given different intellectual, social, institutional and funding systems. This understanding is vital for guiding the future research agenda.

To compare the available data across nations so as to identify the changing risks and safety concerns associated with new media, assessing their distribution, significance and consequences for diverse populations (age, gender, region, nation, etc).

To understand these risks in context. Several contexts are anticipated:◦ Use of new and old media in everyday life, including positive and

negative media experiences ◦ Different cultural contexts of childhood ◦ Different policy/ regulatory contexts, particularly across nations.

To enhance our understanding of methodological issues involved in studying children and the internet and in particular those relating to cross-cultural analysis, both for future research in this field and for European comparative studies more generally.

To network researchers across different countries, disciplines and approaches building on continuities while acknowledging different starting points, so as to share existing knowledge, build capacity and work towards a consensual framework for future research.

To develop evidence-based policy recommendations for raising awareness, media literacy and other practical actions to promote safer use of the internet and new online technologies, particularly but not only for children across Europe.

Austria Belgium Bulgaria Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia France Germany Greece Iceland Ireland

Italy Norway Poland Portugal Slovenia Spain Sweden The Netherlands The United Kingdom

Summing the results from the twenty-one participating countries, we found evidence that supports the hypothesis from eleven countries (Austria, Cyprus, Estonia, France, Greece, Iceland, Ireland Italy, Portugal, Sweden and the UK).

In all of these countries data showed that skills increase when age increases even though some countries didn’t have direct evidence as to self-protection skills.

Norway was the only country who had evidence that both supported and contradicted the hypothesis. For their country, data suggested that older children do have more advanced online skills than younger children, but they tend to forget not to disclose personal information and that puts them to the risk of experiencing difficulties when meeting face to face with online friends.

Another evidence from Norway suggested that knowledge of safety strategies is consistent and does not increase over time. On the other hand however, there was evidence that suggested that older children are more cautious when needed to disclose personal information such as age or date of birth.

The remaining countries (Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Spain and the Netherlands) had no data to present.

For the second hypothesis results showed that as children get older they are more vulnerable in dealing with online risks. Out of the twenty-one participating countries only eight had evidence to support this hypothesis (Belgium, Estonia, Iceland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and the UK) and three had contradicting evidence for it (France, Germany and the Netherlands).

Specifically, France claimed that as children get older they are less likely to participate in chat rooms resulting in a decreased chance of facing a risk. An explanation for this was given stating that as children get older they are less interested in expanding their social network. Germany had no empirical evidence regarding age and risks on online technologies but their data on problematic films on mobile phones suggested that children aged 12-17 own more of these films on their cell phones but the ownership decreases from the age of 18 and above. Data from the Netherlands suggested that younger children are the ones who have an increased amount of risk when using the online technologies because they’re experimenting with their identities and are more prone to receive negative feedback for their profiles, and this affects them by lowering their self-esteem.

The remaining countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Slovenia and Sweden) had no data to present.

Austria, Iceland, Norway and the UK were the only countries out of the twenty-one that had available evidence for this hypothesis.

Their results supported the hypothesis in that the more children use the internet the greater their online skills and literacies become.

The other countries had no data to present regarding this hypothesis maybe because it is really difficult to scientifically test this kind of hypothesis. For testing such a hypothesis it would mean that the same children should be tested several times over the years where at the same time monitoring the amount of time spent on the internet and the type of activities performed.

It seems logical however, that the more you use something the greater the skill you get in mastering it.

Our Conclusions

Europe-wide, it was seen that age influences skills in the use of online technologies.

All countries that have responded to this hypothesis are supportive.

Thus, it can be suggested that older children hold more advanced skills than younger ones, which enable them to better protect themselves from online risks.

For this hypothesis, most countries responded with evidence that supports it.

However, three countries showed contradicting evidence.

This might suggest that there is a difference in the interests of teenagers from one country to another.

The countries who had evidence contradicting the hypothesis agree on that older children use the social networking sites mainly for use with their existing friends and not for making new ones, thus not exposing themselves so much as in younger ages. In addition, they note that older children are more advanced users and that helps them in protecting themselves.

H3 had the lower response rate out of the three hypotheses.

Only three countries responded and all three support the hypothesis.

But with such a small number of responses generalization is meaningless.

One reason that this hypothesis triggered such a low response rate could be that it is really difficult for such variables to be examined, thus most countries didn’t really look at the issue. In general however, this hypothesis seems plausible.

Important to educate children on risks of online use- Teach them ways that can prevent them from being victimized

and ways of combating risks if they come across any.

Knowledge is the most important tool for combating this issue and it needs to be used by all countries.- The ways in which children can be educated vary, but a good idea could be to design a game for teaching them how to responsively use the internet. They can then learn through an entertaining way, how to effectively use this very powerful tool that has been offered to them and minimize problems.

The Cyprus Neuroscience & Technology Institute is a small research organization with about 20 associates

Our focus is on socially responsible projects

We operate the Safer Internet Awareness Node/Hotline

We do research in learning

We promote human rights

For further information please visit the

EU Kids Online website at:

http://www.eukidsonline.net/

Thank You