Children’s web access
More children than ever before can now access the internet directly from their bedrooms, new Ofcom research reveals today.
Our figures show that 35 per cent of 12-15s and 16 per cent of 8-11s now have web access in their bedrooms.
That’s up from 20 per cent and 9 per cent respectively in 2007.
At the same time, some 60 per cent of 12-15s and one third of 8-11s say they use the internet mostly on their own.
Internet controls
One in five of 5-7s also say they use the internet without an adult in the room.
Nearly half of parents whose children use the internet at home say they have internet controls or filtering software in place.
But our UK Children’s Media Literacy interim report also reveals more than one in ten parents said they didn’t know such controls were possible.
If you want to know more about how to manage your children’s access to digital TV and internet content, check out our guide on parental controls.
Location based services
It encourages parents and carers to talk to their children about what they do on the internet and how to use it safely.
Today’s research also reveals that nearly three quarters of all parents are concerned that other people could locate their child through their mobile phone using location based services.
A location-based service uses technology to find your mobile phone’s position and provide services related to where you are.
For example, it can send details to your phone if you search for the nearest cash machine, rail or bus station, or for a map or directions to a particular address.
Consumer guide
Other location based services can help parents to know where their children are when they are out by pinpointing the location of the mobile phone.
Ofcom has today published a guide for parents and carers on how to help keep children safe when using location based services.
Ofcom has also published research from Nielsen Netview on the 50 most popular websites among children aged 6-11 and 12-17.
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