95 percent of 8 to 12-year-olds own a smart device, and more than a third (34%) can access the internet “whenever they want,” according to a significant new survey.
A third or more of pre-teen boys play online games meant for players older than 18, which increases their risk of being exposed to violent content and other harmful materials.
The figures are contained in the annual report of the internet safety charity CyberSafeKids.
Despite the minimum age requirement of 13 for all of the most widely used applications, 87% of kids have their own social networking or instant messaging account.
Moreover a quarter of the kids polled admitted to being concerned by internet content, and 29% of them chose to keep it to themselves rather than tell their parents or someone else.
28% of children said they had experienced bullying online, while 64% of children said that they had been contacted by a stranger in an online game.
On social media, a quarter of kids claimed they had friends and followers they don’t know in real life, and a fifth of kids said they’ve seen anything they wouldn’t want their parents to know about.
CyberSafeKids is urging greater vigilance over what children are seeing, doing and saying online.
CyberSafeKids surveyed almost 4,500 children aged 8-12 between September 2021 and June 2022.
CyberSafeKids Advisor, Professor Brian O’Neill of TU Dublin, said: “CybersafeKids is calling for a national campaign to raise awareness amongst parents and teachers to provide them with the information and support they need to help ensure children have safe and positive experiences online.
“Whilst it welcomes Government plans to pass the Online Safety and Media Regulation bill, it urges that key changes be made including the inclusion of an individual complaints mechanism to give minors greater powers over content that has caused them harm and a stronger incentive to social media and gaming platforms to remove this content quickly and efficiently.”