Most teenagers understand that there is dangerous content on the Internet, but one in three believes that this content cannot do real harm. Parents want to protect their children from possible threats on the Internet, while many do not use parental controls. This is evidenced by the results of the joint research special project "Children and Technologies" carried out by the NAFI Analytical Center and the QIWI group in May-August 2018.
According to the majority of parents, the Internet is a dangerous environment for children (72%). Two-thirds of adolescents (67%) understand that there is dangerous content on the Internet, while one in three believes that information from the network cannot bring real harm to users. 76% of adolescents question the reliability of information on the Internet and prefer to use different sources to verify the veracity of coverage, but one in four (24%) does not doubt the reliability of news from those sources they are used to trusting. Thus, while most adolescents know how to work and navigate the digital environment, sometimes they are not aware of the threats posed by it.
Parents do not deny that information on the Internet can be useful for teenagers: more than half of adults (55%) believe that materials on the Internet are quite useful for children. At the same time, the absolute majority of adolescents (90%) noted the benefits of modern gadgets and applications in their daily life.
Parents 'and teenagers' attitudes towards the Internet
According to the majority of parents, the Internet is a dangerous environment for children (72%). Two-thirds of adolescents (67%) understand that there is dangerous content on the Internet, while one in three believes that information from the network cannot bring real harm to users. 76% of adolescents question the reliability of information on the Internet and prefer to use different sources to verify the veracity of coverage, but one in four (24%) does not doubt the reliability of news from those sources they are used to trusting. Thus, while most adolescents know how to work and navigate the digital environment, sometimes they are not aware of the threats associated with it.
Teens and online shopping
Most teenagers already between the ages of 14 and 17 (82%) have pocket money, and half of teenagers use electronic money. Every second person has a personal e-wallet (49%), 42% use a bank card that is not linked to their parents' account.
Parents and children have different understandings of why children use digital devices. Thus, almost half of parents (45%) believe that children use a computer for games and entertainment. Among children, only a quarter (26%) indicated that they use digital devices to play.
Parents try to take part in the upbringing of teenagers and how they interact with the Internet. However, this participation is more about restrictions and control than education and literate immersion of the adolescent in the digital environment. In the course of the study, a paradox was found: there is a strong contradiction between the attitudes of parents regarding the use of the Internet by their children and how parenting and control actually take place. The majority of parents (91%) consider it necessary to control what their child does on the computer and how he or she spends time on the Internet, but 57% of parents answered that they do not use the parental control function. Half of the parents (51%) only “observe from the sidelines” what the child is doing online.
Elena Lutsenko, head of educational programs at QIWI:
“The contradiction between the attitudes of parents and the attitude of children to the Internet, found in our study, makes us pay more attention to the issues of digital education. As adults, we must acknowledge the fact that if we don't change our attitude, the existing gap between children's digital literacy and ours will only widen and not in our favor. The integration of children into the digital economy and society depends on us - adults. QIWI pays great attention to these issues, and we will continue our educational mission in this direction. "
Guzelia Imaeva, General Director of the NAFI Analytical Center:
“Learning about the digital environment is part of adolescent development, so if kids are online for a few hours a day, don't worry. Information portals and social networks help adolescents to receive new information, learn more about themselves and their place in the adult world. At the same time, the use of digital means of communication by children should be within reasonable limits. Parents need to emphasize the value of face-to-face communication. Children should be warned about the importance of confidentiality of their personal information on the Internet, be ready to talk openly with teenagers about the problems that have arisen on the Internet.
MAIN CONCLUSIONS
Digital literacy of adolescents
The digital literacy index of Russian adolescents was 73 pp. out of 100 possible *. A similar indicator for the adult population is 52 pp. ** Most adolescents know about the possibilities of the Internet, can quickly find information, easily understand the interface of a new gadget or create their own news feed. At the same time, they are unaware of the threats to the digital environment and tend to believe in its security. Only 15% of teenagers have a high level of digital literacy (the share of respondents with an Index of 90 pp and above).
Guzelia Imaeva, General Director of the NAFI Analytical Center, commented on this conclusion: “By measuring the level of information, communication and media literacy, we confirm the excellent knowledge and skills of Russian adolescents. When it comes to attitudes in relation to the digital environment and its perception, the indicators noticeably decrease in a number of parameters. In other words, awareness of threats to the digital environment is weaker than the ability to work with it. Such "distortions" testify to the spontaneous formation of digital literacy in Russian teenagers. "
Parents 'and teenagers' attitudes towards the Internet
According to the majority of parents, the Internet is a dangerous environment for children (72%). Two-thirds of adolescents (67%) understand that there is dangerous content on the Internet, while one in three believes that information from the network cannot bring real harm to users. 76% of adolescents question the reliability of information on the Internet and prefer to use different sources to verify the veracity of coverage, but one in four (24%) does not doubt the reliability of news from those sources they are used to trusting. Thus, while most adolescents know how to work and navigate the digital environment, sometimes they are not aware of the threats associated with it.
Teens and online shopping
Most teenagers already between the ages of 14 and 17 (82%) have pocket money, and half of teenagers use electronic money. Every second person has a personal e-wallet (49%), 42% use a bank card that is not linked to their parents' account.
Most teens (70% in the last 3 months) have made purchases from online stores or paid for something online. However, parents believe that teenagers can make purchases on their own via the Internet only upon reaching the age of majority.