Ofcom Reports Increase in Children’s Internet Use

Ofcom recently published its Children and Parents: Media Use and Attitudes Report, which studied the digital media use of children aged 3-17 in the UK. Parents were also asked about their views on social media use.

The report aims to “provide a comprehensive picture of children’s media experiences in 2023 as a reference for industry, policymakers, academics and the general public.”

Ofcom found that 96% of children aged 5-7 and more than 99% of children aged 12-15 polled go online. Understanding their behaviors and experiences is vital to ensuring the appropriate safeguards are in place and to promote positive use of digital media.

The majority of parents believed the benefits of being online outweighed the risks but remained concerned with their amount of screen time. 32% of parents leveraged parental controls on the device. However, only a third of parents knew the correct minimum age requirements for social media platforms.

The report noted an increase of internet use for children aged 5-7. Children tend to be passive rather than active online, with only 28% of children aged 8-17 posting content or actively engaging with others’ content. Most children watched, followed, and occasionally liked content posted by others.

Children were going online primarily to feel “closer to their friends,” and the majority of those aged 8-17 acknowledged the risks related to social media. On the other hand, 71% of children claimed they were using social media to get insights on how to improve their health and well-being.

Those children who engaged with news acknowledged they were lacking the skills necessary to distinguish between real and fake content. The study also found that four in ten children struggle to distinguish online advertising from search engine results.

The paper highlights that girls are more likely than boys to be influenced by certain marketing campaigns. More than 40% perform “potentially risky behaviors,” such as providing a fake age, and only 30% of children recall attending online safety lessons at school.

When it comes to AI, children are nearly twice as likely to have used AI technology when compared to adults. They use it primarily for fun, but also to learn and for schoolwork.

Ofcom is the independent regulator for various communications services used in the UK. Following the Communications Act 2003 and Online Safety Act 2023, Ofcom also has the authority to promote and carry out research in the area of media literacy.