Digital Youth Life 2009 The survey investigated children and young people’s behavior, preferences and experiences when it comes to the exchange of personal information online. The participants, agd between 9 and 16 were asked whether they published private pictures or videos of others and whether they normally asked for permission before publishing online.The survey also investigated what measures the children would take if they felt exposed online, and whether they themselves had received any negative reactions to comments or materials they have published online.

The survey was designed by The Danish Media Council for Children and Young People and conducted by YouGov Zapera. Data was collected in January 2009 from 1528 respondents geographically evenly distributed all over Denmark. The survey measures age variations in three intervals ranging from 9-10 years, 11-13 years and 14-16 years.

As children get older, so their use of the internet increases. 19% of the respondents aged between 9 -10 use the internet every day. In comparison, 80% of 14-16 year olds use the internet on a daily basis. This also points to the fact that children today get acquainted with online life from an early age. 59% of youngest respondents who used the internet everyday, stated that they used the internet for more than half an hour. The same tendency is observed when the children are asked whether they have a mobile phone. In this case 81% of 9-10 year olds have a mobile phone, and almost all 11- 16 year olds have one.

Even the youngest children have a profile

A regular user has an online profile. 86% of the respondents between 14-16 years, 61% aged between 11-13 years and interestingly 26% of the 9-10 year olds have a profile on the internet. Also, the survey points to the fact that the site of choice for profiles is gender related. This is shown as more girls than boys in the survey are on MSN, and that more boys than girls have a profile on a gaming site. The social networking site “habbohotel.dk” is among the most popular sites with the youngest respondents and “Facebook” is most popular with the older age groups. The survey found that the older you get, the more likely you are to restrict access to pictures on your profile. Looking at the respondents who have an online profile , the 14-16 year olds are more likely to use privacy settings (56%) followed by 43% of the 11-13 year olds and only 34% of the 9-10 year olds. Also, 74% of all respondents have never been hurt or angry because of a comment someone else wrote on their profile. However, if this were to happen, the survey shows that the oldest age group prefer to solve the problem themselves by talking with the person in question (55%) – in comparison only 25% of the youngest respondents would do the same. Instead this group prefer to talk to an adult about this (58%) – in comparison only 17% of the oldest respondents would do the same.

When asked if the respondents themselves wrote on other persons’ profiles, 74% of the 14-16 year olds said that they did. This habit decrease with age, as 49% of 11-13 year olds and only 19% of 9-11 year olds doing this.In addition, 92% of those who write on other people’s profiles said they have never heard that they have upset anyone in doing this. 12% of respondents said they regretted something that they had posted.

Girls like to publish pictures and videos

As children and young people get older, they are more likely to publish pictures and videos online. The survey found that only 7% of 9-10 year olds publish pictures and videos online, whereas 32% of 11-13 year olds and 66% of 14-16 year olds say they do. . The survey also shows that girls are more likely to upload pictures and videos, but that when boys do this, they are more likely to use YouTube. Facebook is the most popular place to be posting this type of content overall. This is much more common in the Copenhagen area than elsewhere in the country.

Once in a while, 20% of those who publish pictures or videos online of others do this without asking for permission beforehand. Older girls are the group most likely to do this, and are also those most likely to have made someone happy by publishing pictures or videos of them online.

34% of respondents said that other people have uploaded pictures or videos of them online, without asking for permission beforehand. 13% said that they have copied pictures from other people’s sites and then re-posted them online on a different site.

Have you ever received an SMS that hurt you - or have you ever done this to someone else?

It happens…31% of respondents say that they have upset someone because of an SMS (text message) they have sent them, and 81% said that they regretted this. When asked what they would do if they received a SMS that upset them, 65% of 9-11 year olds said that they would show it to an adult. As respondents get older these numbers decrease, with 53% of 11-13s and 31% of 14-16 year olds saying that they would seek help from an adult. 18% of the 14-16 year olds said they would respond back in the same crude manner, and 14% would pretend that nothing had happened. Respondents were more likely to seek help when the attack came from an SMS rather than if it were on their profile.

To be or not to be "tagged"

Have you ever been tagged by others on a picture on line? 33% of all the respondents in the survey say ‘yes’…among these, the older girls are the ones most tagged online. Of the respondents tagged online 70% say that mostly they think it is fine, 10% say they mostly find it annoying and 18% do not care. The survey shows that the 14-16 year olds are more likely to think that it is fine to be tagged online. When asked if the respondents tag other people on pictures online, again, older girls are most likely to do thisAmong those who have tagged other people, 10% have found that those in question became angry or hurt as a result.

With whom do you debate?

Do you take part in debates or group discussions on the internet? 34% say ‘yes’, and the vast majority of these are girls. When asked if they think about who else might be following the discussion, 52% confirm that they do, and 44% say that they don’t. 10% said that someone got upset because of what they wrote in the debate or a group on the internet and 53% said that they regretted they had upset someone.

Who are you?

Imagine you were some else….8% of respondents have actually done so by pretending on the internet that they were someone they know from real life. The tendency is equal for boys and girls and seems to rise with age. Also, this is more likely to happen in the capital city area. 10% of respondents said that they were aware of someone else pretending to be them online. As with other issues, the youngest age group tends to involve an adult and the older age group is more likely to solve the problem themselves.

The worst thing you can think of...

The respondents were asked to choose the three out of 7 things that they found most unpleasant online. The most unpleasant thing to encounter on the internet was “that other people pretend to be me” (58%), “that someone uploads pictures or videos of me and forwards them to other people without my knowing” (55%) and “to receive an SMS that upsets me” (46%).

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