Ofcom Children and Parents:

Media Use and Attitudes Report 2024

Ofcom have published their latest report into the media use and attitudes among children and young people aged 3-17. This annual research provides an insight into current trends, children’s online experiences and their understanding of online safety. 

This year, Ofcom introduced two new questions about online safety lessons in schools. They found that almost all children aged 8-17 (93%) recall having had at least one lesson at school about being online and the possible risks, but only three in ten (30%) say they recall having had regular online safety lessons in school. The report states that online safety education may be slightly less effective for children living with at least one impacting condition, which reflects similar findings from research and the changing conversations report by Internet Matters. Some other key findings in the report include:

• YouTube is still the most popular platform among the children in our study, with more than 80% of children using the video sharing platform.
• Video gaming continues to be a key activity for children; gaming is often used as a tool to communicate with their peers, however 31% of children who game online, communicate with strangers as well.
• 51% of children under the age of 13 admit to using social media under-age, with a higher proportion of 5-7- year-olds with their own profiles on specific social media platforms, compared to last year.
• TikTok is the most-used single source for news among 12-15- year-old news consumer, however teens felt less confident in their ability to judge whether what they see online is real or fake than last year.
• The right to freedom of speech, regardless of the impact on other people’s feelings, is a growing priority for older children.
• Nearly half of children have used artificial intelligence technology, and they are twice as likely as adults to have done so, mostly ‘for fun’.

New Research from Internet Matters:

More Than a Game Internet Matters have published new research, supported by Roblox, exploring neurodivergent young people’s (aged 11-17 years old) views and experiences of online gaming.

• 9 in 10 neurodivergent children play video games offline or online.
• 58% say that gaming makes them happy.
• Around 20% had experience of issues such as bullying online, being contacted by strangers, and exposure to violence and hate speech.

Less than half of neurodivergent young people were aware of certain actions that they could take to keep themselves safe online, suggesting that more could be done to educate young people. Only 18% talked to a teacher or adult at school when they experienced an issue online.  To help parents and carers support neurodivergent children as they game, Internet Matters have created a selection of resources to help young people spot risks and take action online:

for neurodivergent teens

for parents of neurodivergent gamers

a video series for neurodivergent gamers on YouTube

 Please see below a range of quick guides to support parents/ carers at home: