Comparing Children's Online Activities and Risks across Europe

EU Kids Online - A Preliminary Report Comparing Findings for Poland, Portugal and UK

In many countries, within and outside Europe, children and young people are gaining access to the Internet and online technologies at a rapid pace. As the study 'Eurobarometer' reveals, there are substantial differences across countries (ranging from less than a third of children in Greece and Bulgaria to over two thirds of those in Estonia and Denmark). To understand what these changes mean for children and their families, for their education, leisure, participation and community and, more negatively, for the risk of harm to children and young people, this growing use of the Internet and online technologies is being closely tracked by empirical research. Thus, research teams across Europe are now conducting empirical studies of varying ambition and depth, in order to advise policy-makers how best to maximise the benefits and minimise the risks associated with the changing media environment. Additionally, there have been several cross-national and pan-European studies in this domain, complementing the single-nation studies.

The challenge in interpreting the significance of this growing body of research lies in bringingthem together, so that their collective findings can be integrated and their diverse insights brought into focus. The EU Kids Online network is premised on the assumption that a crossnational perspective is vital, for children’s experiences of online technologies may differ in different countries, because countries vary in terms of family structures, education systems, attitudes to technology, media regulation, social values, and much more.

The report is to be found under http://www.eukidsonline.net/

Available on the website since October 09, 2007