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Insafe Newsletter
Issue 41: December 2008 |
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Welcome to the Insafe Newsletter!
The mobile internet -
children's use of the internet on handheld devices
Design will always be subverted. That is the way that humanity and its technologies progress, if we are to accept this particularly dialectical theory.
When we consider the mobile phone, the phenomenon of "happy slapping" is a direct result of the incorporation of a digital camera into telephones. The technology is not at fault although making it available to at best unaware and at worst nasty individuals may well be somebody's fault, the parents' perhaps. The dilemma of the availability of technology is a part of a long standing debate which opposes freedom and accountability.
We have argued before that to enjoy the freedom afforded by technology we need to be informed and held responsible for our actions.
The next step for mobile telephony is the greater availability of the internet through the handsets. Although the web has been available for some time technological advances in this area will have profound effects. We can mention the following:
- the development of the iPhone with a browser that gives a high quality browsing experience (when we compare it to an automatic rendering of pages through earlier versions of mobile browsers)
- the development of operating systems outside of phone manufacture, for example the adoption of Windows Mobile, Google's Android and the availability of a greater range of higher performance mobile browsers (Opera Mini, for example)
- the development of Adobe Flash on mobile platforms
- the development of mobile friendly site design (especially of social networking sites such as Facebook)
- data download plans which will greatly reduce the price of internet connection on mobiles.
Microblogging such as Twitter is already widely available through mobiles as is e-mail, where the BlackBerry handset as long (in internet terms) been synonymous with mobile messaging. This kind of application can only gain in popularity as the cost of data transfer lowers. In the UK, for example Apple's iPhone is available with a data transfer package and its design and its brand image make it highly desirable particularly for well-heeled youth. We also read of a cheaper alternative which is being called the "Facebook phone" from operator 3 which is clearly aimed at young people. Its subscription plan of about EUR 18 per month includes the phone and unlimited Facebook and Skype calls, as well as access to Windows Live Messenger and up to 1GB a month of web access, as well a a telephone package.
How will this be reflected with our children's use of mobiles? It has been estimated that soon in the US more teenagers will be accessing the internet through their mobiles than through a desktop. At the same time, a recent study pointed out that "the mobile internet audience has a higher concentration of younger users than PC-based internet; 25% of mobile internet consumers are aged 15-24 compared to 16% for PC-based consumers. Whilst, 23% of the PC-based internet population is 55+, only 12% of the mobile Internet audience is." The challenges we will face as far as the mobile internet is concerned will be particularly focused on the younger members of society.
The new frontier of the mobile internet has already led to predictions that the botnet phenomenon will move to use this new technology, presenting new threats. There is a hope that being forewarned is being forearmed and we can look forward to being handed equipment with safety built-in.
The debate as to how much operators will be able to control what is made available to young people has already opened. As we know, a technical response to what is a human problem will not suffice. It is inevitably a matter of media literacy which is where the Insafe network comes in.
So, as you're stuffing your Christmas stocking with new generation mobile phones, let us wish you a safe-mobile-surfing 2009.
The next Insafe newsletter will be published in February when we will be looking at preparations for Safer Internet Day 2009. Happy New Year!
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Eurbarometer survey
The 2008 Eurbarometer survey which is to be released soon, shows that 11% of children in the EU own a mobile with internet access. There are important differences between countries, with young people in Estonia (30%), Lithuania and Latvia (29%), Slovenia (26%) and Finland (22%) being most likely to access the internet via their mobile phones.
Read more
 The Phone Box – an image of old media use
From the stuffiness of the cinema and phone box to the open networks of YouTube and mobiles: While one generation grew up using media in closed spaces, another generation is right now growing up acting and thinking in open networks. How do we, the adults, understand and, just as importantly, speak to the first generation of the network society? Read more
Phonepayplus takes safety to the top of the classWorking with Ministry of Sound, the Peter Jones Foundation and the UK Government-sponsored enterprise body Make Your Mark, PhonepayPlus has designed PhoneBrain - a unique curriculum-based ICT and Enterprise schools programme.
Read more
Swedish Online Youth Clinic
Hundreds of thousands of young Swedes visit youth clinics every year, but there are still many who refrain from going, not the least boys and young men - they only constituted 11.5% of the visitors last year. The Swedish government has therefore commissioned an online youth clinic that was launched in November. Read more
 New course on internet safety in PolandOn Safer Internet Day 2008 the Nobody’s Children Foundation initiated its new project - e-learning courses on internet safety directed at children, youngsters, parents and teachers.
The first e-learning course launched on SID 2008 was targeted at children aged 7-11. In November 2008 a new course under the name “Safe surfing the net” for 8-12 year old children was released. Read more
2008 Watch Your Space SurveyThis survey of social networking websites use by young people in Ireland indicates that the popularity of social networking websites shows no signs of waning. Overall levels of usage in January 2008 were similar to those found in 2007 in terms of frequency of access. However, teenagers appear to be spending less time on these sites. Read more
Most extensive study of youth media use publishedOver three years, University of California, Irvine researcher Mizuko Ito and her team interviewed over 800 youth and young adults and conducted over 5000 hours of online observations as part of the most extensive U.S. study of youth media use. Read more
 Virtual Worlds - Real Money. Multiplayer online gamers ‘soft target’ for cybercriminals - EU Agency report warns.
Serious real-world money locked up in the 1.5 Bn EUR virtual goods market is leading to a wave of malware threatening circa 1 Bn users worldwide. The EU Agency’s report includes 12 recommendations for governments, game providers and users. Read more
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 Insafe quiz
On 1st December 2008, the Insafe network launched its first global activity for Safer Internet Day 2009, 10 February 2009, namely a quiz available in 22 languages! Read more
European Ministerial e-Inclusion Conference
30 November - 2 December 2008, Vienna. As the "e-Inclusion: be part of it!" campaign reaches its conclusion, it is time to celebrate achievements and showcase successes in the field of e-Inclusion. It's also time to take stock of what still lies ahead and renew the commitments to achieve inclusion in the information society for all. Read more
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 New survey - kids on mobile phones
In November 2008 Saferinternet.at partner mobilkom austria published a new survey on kids’ mobile phone use in Austria. While parents particularly appreciate the safety and control aspect of mobiles, children perceive mobile phones as a status symbol and tool with which to organise their free time. Read more
PEGI supports successful 2nd “Game-city” event in Vienna
The second "Game-city" event organised by the Austrian Entertainment Software Association OVUS and the city of Vienna in the city town hall, was an overwhelming success. With more than 52,000 visitors, a 100% increase on last year, growth expectations were exceeded. Read more
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Insafe is a European network of 26 nodes in 26 countries that are dedicated to raising awareness of internet safety. It is coordinated by the European Schoolnet and supported by the European Commission through the Safer Internet Programme.
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