Summary of the study «Digital usage and online violence during lockdown» among 10-19 year olds and their parents Association e-Enfance / OpinionWay (May 2020)
Survey conducted from 11 to 18 May 2020 among 1,005 parents and their teenagers (550 secondary school pupils aged 10 to 15; 455 sixth form pupils aged 15 to 19).
The sample is representative of this population in terms of gender, age, and region of the adolescents.
DIGITAL USE ON THE RISE FOR 78% OF TEENAGERS AND RELAXATION OF FAMILY RULES ACCORDING TO 42% OF THEM
- 74% of parents admit that their children spent more time using digital devices during lockdown. This trend is confirmed by teenagers themselves, who report that 78 % having spent more hours in front of screens.
- The three main reasons cited are (i) « watch videos » 67 % (recreational use), (ii) «doing research for classes» 62 % (educational use), (iii) «send private messages via social media» 50 % (socialisation use). High school students estimate that 56 % spent more time on social media.
- Parents have placed few restrictions on their children's use of digital devices: according to their teenagers, 42% have been less strict; this proportion is higher among secondary school pupils aged 10-15 (48%); and For 47% of teenagers, parents have not changed the rules.
- 7 out of 10 teenagers have had access to a virtual classroom or online forums for discussion with their peers, particularly at secondary school (15-19 years old).
EXPLOSION OF ONLINE SCAMS
- Near 10 % adolescents who had access to virtual classrooms or discussion forums have witnessed cyberbullying behaviour on these new forums for discussion.
- Furthermore, 3 % for adolescents were victims of online violence during the first lockdown. A higher proportion among younger people, since 5 % for secondary school pupils between 10 and 12 years old report having been victims of cyber violence during this period.
- According to parents whose children were victims of online violence during lockdown, the most common problems encountered are: cyberviolence (47 %) and mainly insults. A new development is that their children were much more often victims Online scams have skyrocketed: 22 % vs. 7 % outside of lockdown.
- The reasons cited by victims of online violence remain mainly physical appearance and jealousy/envy (most frequently cited). New feature: fall of vengeance (8 % vs 22 % outside confinement) and increase in anger (21 % vs 13 % outside lockdown).
- The primary reason cited by authors who posted, shared, or liked an insulting comment is always «For fun» (29 %). New: social pressure is decreasing as «Doing what others do» drops from 26% to 9%.
- For 84 % For teenagers who are victims of this online violence, the first instinct is always to’talk about it and tell their parents. What is new is that many more people have discussed it on forums. (10 % vs. 2 % outside confinement).
The increased desire to interact with peers, particularly when confronted with a risk on the Internet, can be explained by the fact that:
ONE THIRD OF 10-15 YEAR OLDS HAVE DISTANCED THEMSELVES FROM THEIR FRIENDS
- 30 % for secondary school pupils (10–15 years old) feel that they have drifted apart from their friends, twice as many as secondary school pupils (15–19 years old) (16 %).
- For 4 out of 10 teenagers, the period also close to their family. This feeling of closeness to the family is also more prevalent among middle school pupils than high school pupils (45% vs. 38%).
PARENTS UNDERESTIMATE THEIR CHILDREN'S ABILITY TO BE PERPETRATORS OF CYBERVIOLENCE
- They underestimate still in lockdown, their children's capacity to perpetrate online violence: their children are 3 times more likely to report having been a perpetrator of cyberbullying than their projections.
- They partially identify the reasons why teenagers engage in online violence: they think they are acting for fun (36 %) and by social conformity (30 %).
SOLUTIONS PROPOSED BY TEENAGERS: STRICTER PENALTIES
- When it comes to combating online violence, prevention and sanctions are equally important in the eyes of teenagers. More than half of them (58 %) to recommend stricter penalties.
AND AFTER LOCKDOWN? A QUARTER OF 10-15 YEAR OLDS WANT TO CHANGE THEIR HABITS
- A quarter of secondary school pupils (aged 10–15) (26 %) is considering changing his behaviour with regard to his digital habits and 22 % with regard to social media following lockdown, a smaller proportion among secondary school pupils (15-19 years old) (19 % are considering changing their habits with regard to digital equipment and 18 % with regard to social media).
- These teenagers who are calling for change want, in particular, reduce time spent on screens (70 %) and social media (69 %); 29 % Some of them are even considering deleting certain social media accounts.
- 51 % of parents will not change the rules regarding screen time (compared to before lockdown), proof that these practices have become a permanent feature of family life. 10 % will even relax them.
- Parents of secondary school pupils (aged 10–15) are nearly half (45 %) wanting to reduce their children's use of digital devices (compared to pre-lockdown rules), following screen overload during lockdown (compared to 29% of parents of secondary school pupils aged 15–19).
