Digital technology, and its increased influence on our lives, remains a keenly debated topic as the world takes further tentative steps into ‘the new normal’. Central to that conversation, of course, are the ways that young people’s online activities – which naturally evolve rapidly, even without the seismic shock of a pandemic – are developing in the 2020s.
Every year, the UK’s communications regulator, Ofcom, carries out an in-depth study into how young people are using and experiencing the online world. For our online safety guide this week, we’ve trawled the report’s 79 densely packed pages to bring you an accessible digest of the most relevant and informative findings.
Most people probably won’t be greatly surprised to note that cyber-bullying, screen time and age-inappropriate content remain among the chief concerns about children’s wellbeing online. You might not have realised, however, how great the disparity is between how well teens think they can spot fake news and how effective they actually are at recognising it. The NOS #WakeUpWednesday guide also condenses Ofcom’s findings to illustrate which platforms and apps were used most by children in 2021; how many young people engage with social media and live streaming (either their own content or viewing others’); and the proportion of children who play online games at various ages.
