Media convergence, risk and harm to children online

Abstract

Mobile media allow children to have more flexible and personalized habits, and create new opportunities for privacy when using them in the home, school and public spaces. The Net Children Go Mobile1 project in which Denmark, Italy, the United Kingdom, Romania, Belgium, Ireland, Portugal and Spain have participated, is based on the analysis of this new reality and its possible consequences for children. This study presents the most significant results of this project in Spain from a survey of 500 Spanish children between 9 and 16 years of age who are Internet users, along with their father or mother. Parents were asked about their children’s use of the Internet and mobile devices, parental mediation strategies, along with socio-demographic information and educations. One of the main findings of this study is that online risk experiences do not necessarily lead to harm. In fact, the EU Kids Online research project showed that children who face the greatest number of online risks are not necessarily the ones who suffer the most harmful consequences; on the contrary, they are usually the ones who have greater skills to deal with such issues and to develop more resistence.