Teenagers are spending around two hours a day online, have four different social media services, and there's a good chance they have had a negative experience online – including being contacted by a stranger. That's according to new research released today by the eSafety Commissioner, to coincide with Safer Internet Day.
"Our research shows that while teens' increased use of technology offers many benefits, there is a distinct downside – dealing with negative online experiences such as unwanted contact and cyberbullying," says Australia's eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant.
The research, The digital lives of Aussie teens, shows:
· Teenagers used an average of four different social media services, with newer services such as TikTok gaining ground.
· Just over four in 10 teenagers had at least one negative online experience in the six months to September 2020, with three in 10 having experienced unwanted contact from a stranger.
· Two in 10 teenagers reported being sent unwanted inappropriate content, such as pornography or violent content.
· Nine in 10 teenagers sought to build positive online relationships after experiencing negative online behaviour themselves. These acts of kindness included posting positive/nice
