Average UK 11-year-old has "Adult Skills" in Technology, AVG Research Reveals

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AVG Technologies

15 Nov, 2011, 08:00 GMT

AMSTERDAM, November 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

- Online habits of UK tweens forcing them into complex social situations that require adult skills

In today's tech-obsessed society, UK children, tweens (10- to 13-year-olds) and teens are spending more time online and with digital devices than ever before.  

AVG Technologies today announced Digital Maturity, the fourth instalment of research from the Digital Diaries series, which studies the digital life cycle of children.  Above all, Digital Maturity reveals that while the average 11-year old isn't managing a stock portfolio or paying the mortgage online, their online activity closely mirrors that of an adult. Tweens are spending an increased amount of time on social networks, connected mobile devices, or engaged in online gaming.

The result: tweens are forced into complex social situations that require adult reasoning - well before they're ready.

"Children are online at such an early age that many have developed the technical maturity of adults by their tween years. However, they have not developed the equivalent intellectual or emotional maturity necessary to make the right decisions in the many complex situations they face online," said JR Smith, CEO of AVG Technologies. "It's important that parents understand the role technology plays in their children's lives. This can help their kids be as smart and safe as possible with technology, while giving parents complete peace of mind."

Who Knows Best?

Digital Maturity shows that just one in ten UK parents believe their 10- to 13-year-old is better informed about the Internet than they are. According to the fathers surveyed globally, 87 per cent are more likely to say they know the most about the Internet, with only five per cent crediting their children with knowing more.

Most UK parents claim not to know what their children actually do online. However, over half (58 per cent) of UK parents have secretly logged into their children's computers with the intention of determining their online activities.

Yet, nearly 60 per cent of UK parents allow their 10-to 13- year olds to have a PC in the privacy of their bedroom, indicating there is often no consistent, real-time parental supervision in place.

Youngest tweens developing appetite for social media

While the survey suggests that the majority of UK parents (88 per cent) feel they are savvier about the Internet than their children, there is still plenty of room for concern. 62 per cent of parents admit their 10- to 13-year-olds have access to mainstream social networks, directly undermining the established minimum age restriction to join Facebook at 13 years.

Other key findings from this latest round of research are as follows:

  • 50% of tweens in the English speaking countries and 44 per cent overall in this age group now use social media on their mobile phones.  
  • Only one in twenty 10-to 13- year olds have been victims of cyber-bullying according to their parents. This ranges from nine per cent in Australia and the US, six percent in the UK to three per cent in France.
  • Six in ten parents have accessed their kids' PCs to see what they are up to online. US (72 per cent) and Canadian (67 per cent) are most likely to have done so, compared with UK parents (58 per cent).
  • Tweens in Italy (90 per cent), Czech Republic (86 per cent) and UK (83 per cent) are the most prolific users of SMS, whilst France (61 per cent) and Australia (62 per cent) used the service the least.
  • 58 per cent of UK 10-13- year olds use their PC in the privacy of their own home, compared with 81 per cent in Germany, 69 per cent in France, 49 per cent in Italy, 41 per cent in the USA, 36 per cent in Australia and 11 per cent in the Czech Republic.
  • Tweens in the UK (36 per cent) are more likely to own a Smartphone than their US (28 per cent) and French (16 per cent) counterparts.

"Adults often take for granted the decades of training we call upon every time we engage with other people," continued Smith. "And not even we can navigate social situations with perfect ease. Above all, Digital Maturity should encourage parents - and by extension every adult in the proverbial village - to help tweens face online networks with confidence and the safety to speak up when things go awry."

About AVG "Digital Diaries" Campaign

The first stage of AVG's Digital Diaries campaign, "Digital Birth," covered children from birth to age 2. The study, released in October 2010, found that on average infants acquire a digital identity by the age of 6-months-old. Nearly a quarter (23 percent) of children have even had their pre-birth scans uploaded to the Internet by their parent - having a digital footprint even before birth. The second stage, "Digital Skills," was released in January 2011 to show that for 2- to 5-year-olds 'tech' skills are increasingly replacing 'life' skills. In fact, many toddlers could use a mouse and play a computer game, but could not ride a bike, swim or tie their shoelaces.  "Digital Playground," released in June, found nearly half of 6- to 9-year-olds talk to friends online and use social networks.  Research for all stages of the Digital Diaries series was conducted by Research Now on behalf of AVG Technologies.  

More information visit: http://www.avgdigitaldiaries.com/ 

About AVG

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AVG is a global security software maker protecting more than 100 million active users in 170 countries from the ever-growing incidence of Web threats, viruses, spam, cyber-scams and hackers on the Internet. AVG has nearly two decades of experience in combating cybercrime and advanced laboratories for detecting, pre-empting and combating Web-borne threats from around the world. Its free, downloadable software allows novice users to have basic anti-virus protection and then easily upgrade to greater levels of safety and defense when they are ready. AVG has a strong reseller network consisting of resellers, partners and distributors globally including; CNET, Ingram Micro, and Wal-Mart.

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