Study: Online use by teens not as dangerous as some would expect

By Staff Writer

Although some parents are concerned about cyberbullying and other harmful content on the internet, a new study shows that the risks of online use among children is not as significant as many believe.

The findings are based on a survey of 25,140 internet users in Europe between the ages of 9 and 16, along with their parents. The poll, which was funded by the European Commission, found that only a small minority of young people are confronted with problems online, and very few of these adolescents reported that they were negatively affected by the content.

The report states that children spend an average of about an hour and a half online every day, and about half of the kids said that they "find it easier to be themselves" online than in face-to-face relationships.

About 21 percent of the children between 11 and 16 years old said that they had been confronted with unhealthy online material. The most common problem was hate messages against certain groups, followed by pro-anorexia content, encouragement to self-mutilate and drug-taking. Although the harmful content was less prevalent than some expected, they found that half of the parents whose children have encountered issues online were not aware of the incidents.

If a problem teen is spending too much time on the internet, a parent may consider employing tough love and limiting their computer or phone use.