Children struggling to cope with harms encountered online
The number of UK children experiencing some form of harm online remains high – with parents fearing the impacts of harm are getting worse, a new study says.
The annual wellbeing index from online safety charity Internet Matters found that children's emotional resilience is weakening, with a rise in the number choosing to actively avoid certain platforms because of negative interactions.
The survey of parents and children from 1,054 families in the UK found that the impact of the internet on wellbeing has become more extreme, with respondents reporting both the positive and negative impacts of time online have risen this year.
It showed that children appear to be getting more upset when they encounter online harms – 67% of children said they had experienced harm online, which was in line with previous years, but more said they found the experience upsetting or frightening.
Parents too said they felt the impacts of harm online were getting worse, in particular when it comes to graphic violent content, and unhealthy body image or eating habits – both of which saw sharp rises in being flagged as having a negative effect on their children.
The survey also showed that fewer children feel safe online, with the number saying they did so dropping to 77% compared to 81% last year.
Meanwhile, the most prevalent harm this year was false information, which was encountered by 41% of children, according to the study.
However, the study also found that for many children, the positives of being online still outweigh the negatives.
The number of children who said the internet was important for finding supportive communities rose from 44% to 50%.
And parents are also getting better at tracking and understanding their children's online habits, the study said.
Carolyn Bunting, co-chief executive of Internet Matters, said: 'This year's survey shows that the negative sides of online life are on the rise – particularly for vulnerable children. It is encouraging that parents are taking action, however experiences of online harm remain stubbornly high, with two-thirds of all children experiencing harm online.
'It is encouraging to see that children are making greater use of the internet to be creative, to stay active and to find community, and parents and children say the benefits of being online for children's wellbeing continue to outweigh the negatives.
'But we should be alarmed that those negatives are growing faster, that children are feeling more affected and upset by these experiences, and that parents are becoming more worried that excessive time online is negatively affecting their child's physical and mental health.
'Our Index shows there is still a very long way to go until Britain becomes the safest place in the world for children to be online.
'The Online Safety Act is a welcome and important step forward, and the new legislation can't come into effect soon enough.
'Ofcom must now fully exercise its powers and prioritise children's safety so that they can capitalise on the benefits of being online without coming to harm.'
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