Media Literacy Matters: children’s and young people’s media use

12 November 2010

Media Literacy @ Ofcom

Use

Understand

Create

Access, volume of use and breadth of use of different platforms

Understand and evaluate content

Create content and interact with media devices or with other users

Media literacy is the ability to use, understand and create media and communications

3

Contents – Children’s and Young People’s Media Literacy

• Children’s and young people’s media use and affinity

• Children’s and young people’s attitudes to media

• Parental attitudes and interventions

5-7 8-11 12-15

Watch TV DVDs/VideosUse a mobile phone

Use the internetVia PC/Laptop

Play console/Video games

Regular media activities undertaken

Listen to the radio

95Watch TV 94

Watch TV

94Watch TV

43

37

54 78

55

5060

61

51

53

82

3237

4Read Newspapers/Magazines

Listen to portableMP3 device

45

49

43

3027

20

5-7 8-11 12-15

Watch TV DVDs/VideosUse a mobile phone

Use the internetVia PC/Laptop

Play console/Video games

TV dominates for younger children, but mobiles and the internet are increasingly important for 12-15s

58Watch TV

47Watch TV 32

Watch TV

22Console/games

19 Console/ games

16 Console/ games

4

20Interne

t10

24mobile

6

2

10

5

Listen to the radio

Devices used to visit websites

6

7

QC13A-M – Thinking about what you do when you use the internet at home, do you use the internet to do any of these? (prompted responses, multi-coded) – PERCENTAGES SHOWN REFLECT THOSE THAT UNDERTAKE ACTIVITY AT LEAST WEEKLY Base: Children aged 5-15 who use the internet at home (1567 aged 5-15 in UK, 1016 aged 5-15 in England, 199 aged 5-15 in Scotland, 205 aged 5-15 in Wales, 147 aged 5-15 in Northern Ireland) – significance testing shows any difference by nation compared to the UK measure Source: Ofcom research, fieldwork carried out by Saville Rossiter-Base in April to May and September to October 2009

Internet activities carried out at least once a week by users

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Contents – Children’s and Young People’s Media Literacy

• Children’s and young people’s media use and affinity

• Children’s and young people’s attitudes to media

• Parental attitudes and interventions

9

10

47%

33%

14%

27%

10%

46%

33%

15%

29%

10%

47%

34%

11% 12%9%

58%

27%

6%

25%

11%

48%

40%

13%

18%

8%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

QC18 – I’d like to read out a number of things people might do. For each one, could you please tell me if you’ve done it, you’d be interested in doing it, or not interested? (prompted responses, single coded)Base: Children aged 8-15 who use the internet at home (1227 in UK, 796 in England, 154 in Scotland, 167 in Wales, 110 in Northern Ireland) – significance testing shows any difference by nation compared to the UK measureSource: Ofcom research, fieldwork carried out by Saville Rossiter-Base in April to May and September to October 2009

Children’s experience of creative activities

Set up your own page or profile on a website like Bebo, Piczo,

MySpace, Facebook or Hi5

Uploaded photos to the internet

Set up your own website

Create a character (or avatar) that lives or plays

in the online world on sites like Club Penguin

Made a short video and uploaded it to the internet

UK

En

gla

nd

Sco

tla

nd

Wal

es

N Ir

ela

nd

UK

En

gla

nd

Sco

tla

nd

Wal

es

N Ir

ela

nd

UK

En

gla

nd

Sco

tla

nd

Wal

es

N Ir

ela

nd

UK

En

gla

nd

Sco

tla

nd

Wal

es

N Ir

ela

nd

UK

En

gla

nd

Sco

tla

nd

Wal

es

N Ir

ela

nd

11

97%

27%

14%

4%

96%

39%

27%

9%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Aged 8-11

Aged 12-15

Aged 8-11

Aged 12-15

Aged 8-11

Aged 12-15

Aged 8-11

Aged 12-15

Talk to people I

don’t know

Look for old

friends/ people I’ve lost touch with

Talk to people

who are friends of

friends

Talk to friends/ family

Minority of SNS users talk to friends of friends or people they don’t know

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NQC26BA// BB/ BC/ BD/ BE/ BF/ BG – I’m going to read out some types of information that people can show on the internet, and for each one I’d like you to say how you would feel about putting this information online (prompted responses, single coded) Base: Those children aged 12-15 who use the internet at home or elsewhere (371 aged 12-15) Source: Ofcom research, fieldwork carried out by Saville Rossiter-Base in April to May 2010

12-15s say they are more willing to share information than contact details

NEW QUESTION ADDED AT WAVE 1 - 2010

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12%

42%

55%

28%

29%

35%

47%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

EXPERIENCE OF ALL OF THESE

NONE OF THESE

ANY OF THESE

Someone pretending to be themonline

Embarrasing pictures beingposted or sent to other people

against their wishes

Sending an email or textmessage they wished they had

not sent

Gossip being spread about themonline or via text message

NQC45 – Do you personally know anyone who has experienced any of the following things in the last year, either online or via a mobile phone? Base: Children aged 12-15 (376)Source: Ofcom research, fieldwork carried out by Saville Rossiter-Base in September to October 2010

More than half of children aged 12-15 know of people who have experienced at least one of one of the following…

NEW QUESTION ADDED AT WAVE 2 - 2010

14

29%

16%

24%

18% 20%

12%

18%

44%

24% 26% 25% 24%21% 23%

14%

36%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

These things don’t worry me

Aged 8-11

Aged 12-15

Someone posting

photos of me on their page

People can get a bad

name from other people

posting comments about them

Someone might pretend to be my age

and get to know me

Sometimes people get bullied on

them

People can send hurtful messages to other people

I sometimes spend too

much time on them

Strangers might find out information about me

QC22 – Which of these things, if any, are things that you don’t like about sites like Bebo, Piczo, hi5, Facebook or MySpace?Base: Children aged 8-15 who have a social networking site profile that is currently active (129 aged 8-11, 442 aged 12-15) Source: Ofcom research, fieldwork carried out by Saville Rossiter-Base in April to May and September to October 2009

Children’s dislikes about social networking sites

Aged 8-11

Aged 12-15

Aged 8-11

Aged 12-15

Aged 8-11

Aged 12-15

Aged 8-11

Aged 12-15

Aged 8-11

Aged 12-15

Aged 8-11

Aged 12-15

Aged 8-11

Aged 12-15

15

36%

12% 13%

4%1%

5%2%

54%49%

15% 14%

3%6%

2% 2%

42%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Children’s dislikes about mobile phones

These things don’t worry me

Aged 8-11

Aged 12-15

Too difficult to use

Seeing things on the phone that make me

feel sad, frightened or embarrassed

Slow access to the internet over

the phone

Seeing things on the phone

that are too old for me

Sometimes people get

bullied on them

People can send hurtful messages to other people

It costs too much money

QC38 – Which of these things if any, are things you don’t like about mobile phones? (prompted responses, multi-coded)Base: Children aged 8-15 who have a mobile phone (392 aged 8-11, 684 aged 12-15 ) Source: Ofcom research, fieldwork carried out by Saville Rossiter-Base in April to May and September to October 2009

Aged 8-11

Aged 12-15

Aged 8-11

Aged 12-15

Aged 8-11

Aged 12-15

Aged 8-11

Aged 12-15

Aged 8-11

Aged 12-15

Aged 8-11

Aged 12-15

Aged 8-11

Aged 12-15

16

19%15% 14%

11%

64%

34%

16% 16%12%

50%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

QC33 – Which of these things if any, are things you don’t like about playing games over the internet? (prompted responses, multi coded)Base: Children aged 8-15 who ever play games online (219 aged 8-11, 329 aged 12-15) Source: Ofcom research, fieldwork carried out by Saville Rossiter-Base in April to May and September to October 2009

Children’s dislikes about online gaming

Sometimes spend too much time on them

Someone might pretend to be my age and get to know me

Strangers might find out information about me

People can say hurtful things about how other

people play games

These things don’t worry me

Aged 8-11

Aged 12-15

Aged 8-11

Aged 12-15

Aged 8-11

Aged 12-15

Aged 8-11

Aged 12-15

Aged 8-11

Aged 12-15

Children’s opinions of the internet

• It’s easier to keep things secret or private on the internet than in real life – 16%

• It’s easier to talk about personal things on the internet – 14%

• I feel more confident on the internet than I do in real life – 14%

• It’s fun being silly or rude on the internet – 13%

• When I’m on the internet I forget about the safety rules – 5%

17

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Contents – Children’s and Young People’s Media Literacy

• Children’s and young people’s media use and affinity

• Children’s and young people’s attitudes to media

• Parental attitudes and interventions

19

20

32%

20%

41%

25%

8%

9%

9%

11%

60%

71%

50%

64%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Very/ fairly concerned Neither/ Don't know Not very / not at all concerned

NQP33CF/ NQP33CG /QP38E/ QP38F – Please tell me the extent to which you are concerned about these possible aspects of your child’s internet use/ mobile phone use? (prompted responses, single coded) Base: Parents of children whose child use the internet at home (314 aged 8-11, 333 aged 12-15) and those whose child has their own mobile phone (191 aged 8-11, 340 aged 12-15)Source: Ofcom research, fieldwork carried out by Saville Rossiter-Base in April to May 2010

Internet

Mobile phone

Internet

Mobile phone

Aged 8-11

Aged 12-15

NEW QUESTION WAVE 1 - 2010

Parental concern about their child being bullied

21

NQC26A – Have you ever been given any information or advice about how to stay safe while you are online? ? (spontaneous responses, multicoded)Base: Those children aged 8-15 who use the internet at home or elsewhere (732 aged 8-15, 361 aged 8-11, 371 aged 12-15) Significance testing shows any difference between children aged 8-11 and aged 12-15Source: Ofcom research, fieldwork carried out by Saville Rossiter-Base in April to May 2010

Information/advice about staying safe online

NEW QUESTION WAVE 1 - 2010

22

Key figures children would go to if they found something upsetting or offensive on the internet

Thank you

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