On average, Austrian children receive their first smartphone at the age of ten. A study commissioned by Google shows that 58 percent of five to eight year olds already have a mobile phone or tablet. Experts recommend setting rules from the start.
The first digital device is often under the Christmas tree and parents are faced with the challenge of setting digital ground rules and ensuring their children’s online safety, the report said on Wednesday. A checklist should help with this.
Online use increases with age
Research by the American market research institute GutCheck shows that online use increases with age. Nearly half of all Austrian children spend one to three hours online every day (49 percent). This is 45 percent for five to eight year olds and 58 percent for nine to twelve year olds. 44 percent of 13 to 17 year olds spend one to three hours online, and the same number spend three to six hours online.
More than three-quarters of Austrian children have their own smartphone or tablet (77 percent). For nine to twelve year olds this is 81 percent. In the age group 13 to 17 years, nine out of ten have their own device.
Support guide and checklist
The majority of parents surveyed in Austria (79 percent) talked to their children about the topic of online safety in the past year. In Germany this value is 87 percent higher, Google reports from the study conducted in several countries. 40 percent of parents find it difficult to find the right time for these conversations. 48 percent of parents also do not have good examples to explain online safety. 87 percent believe their child would come to them if they have a problem in the online world.
74 percent of parents limit the amount of time their children can spend in front of a screen. About a third (32 percent) also uses technical aids. At the same time, more than 60 percent of parents of younger children find age-appropriate online safety guides to be the most useful tool for better parenting their children. Google offers this.
Source: Krone
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