Using the internet is a more popular activity than playing with friends among Irish nine-year-olds, according to a new study.
The findings also show most children of that age have access to the internet.
A recent survey by OFSTED in the UK found that children’s access to online porn fuels sexual harassment & is "shaping children's expectations of relationships" https://t.co/jW3uzVba9s
— CyberSafeKids (@CyberSafeKidsIE) June 14, 2021
Researchers Find Gaps In Well Off And Disadvantaged Backgrounds
This ESRI report is based on interviews with around 8,000 nine-year-olds and their parents in 2017 and 2018.
Nearly a quarter were overweight or obese; almost 40 percent said they'd experienced some type of bullying.
When it comes to school performance, a gap of over 10 points in reading scores was found between children from very advantaged and very disadvantaged backgrounds.
The nine-year-olds also listed football and going online as their favourite activities - ahead of playing with friends.
Desmond O'Mahony is one of the report's lead authors:
"Even if you look within that internet activity."
"A big chunk of that would be computer games, and most of those computer games, because the way techology's gone, is online."
"So people are playing games online and meeting their friends online."
Over Half Of Kids Are Un Supervised
Almost all children had access to the internet.
While over half said a parent or adult didn't check what they're doing.
Alex Cooney from CyberSafe Kids says that's a concern:
"Whether it's how to ride a bike, or how to be safe around the water, we prepare them."
"We put the training wheels on their bike, we have their helmet, we make them cycle in the park before letting them on the road."
"But we really need to be doing the same things for the online world."
While this study doesn't cover the impact of the pandemic, a new report from the Children's Ombudsman does.
The office received over 1,100 complaints last year - and the number of direct complaints from children doubled.
