June 12, 2024, 1:01 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
A web browser opens the door to the vast world of the internet–sometimes even for children. And as a survey by the security software company Kaspersky shows, children are indeed susceptible to content intended for users 18 and older. It doesn’t stop at porn sites…
The statistics are based on the analysis of anonymized data from children’s online search queries over the past 12 months. Parents from the DACH region who use the parental control software Kaspersky Safe Kids voluntarily provided this data, according to a statement. This allowed Kaspersky analysts to determine the most popular website and app categories among children. Some of it was expected. However, the popularity of adult content among minors is surprising.
Overview
“Adult Content”–What Does It Mean?
As the term suggests, “adult content” in the study refers to websites with non-youth-friendly content. Beyond the depiction of nudity and sexual acts, the category also includes sites discussing sexuality in human relationships. Portals for “online or offline sex services” or arrangements for sex, “including virtual sex,” are also included. In addition to shops for items “for use during sex and/or to stimulate sexual arousal,” the umbrella term adult content also encompasses artworks “intended to stimulate sexual arousal,” as well as sites showing nudism or addressing topics like sex education and abortion.
Study Shows Consumption of Adult Content by Children
As the analysis of usage behavior has shown, on Windows computers, those with adult content are the third most popular website category among children. They account for 8 percent of usage. “This means adult content is even more popular among children than online shops (4 percent),” the statement says. On mobile devices like smartphones and tablets running the Android operating system, a similar picture emerges. Here, adult content still accounts for 5 percent of children’s usage.
Websites for “software, audio, and video” make up 33 percent of children’s visits, the largest share. The second place goes to the category of internet communication with 30 percent. Video games account for 7 percent of visits.
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The Most Popular Apps Among Children–and Their Pitfalls
“By far, children most frequently use the YouTube app,” the analysts explain. “Explicit content” is not allowed on the Google video platform, as stated there. However, in practice, it can happen that clips are posted that are not entirely suitable for the eyes of minors.
Next in terms of popularity are the apps of messengers and social networks like WhatsApp, TikTok, and Snapchat (19, 18, and 7 percent, respectively). It should also be noted that using these seemingly harmless chat services is not without risks for children. There is a danger of cybercrime and cyberbullying. Children could unknowingly disclose personal information and sensitive data. TikTok, for example, is intended for people who are at least 13 years old, according to its guide for guardians. It is therefore crucial that teenagers provide their correct birth date. Whether they actually do so is another matter.
Preparing Children for the Internet Carefully
In light of current events, those responsible recommend that parents monitor their children’s online activities from the start–this can be done using parental control apps–and regularly discuss the content visited. Valuable tips on children and the internet have been collected for you by TECHBOOK here.