This report maps the risks and opportunities of the internet for children in Europe, like internet access, online practices, skills, online risks and opportunities for children aged 9–16 in Europe. Teams of the EU Kids Online network collaborated between autumn 2017 and summer 2019 to conduct a major survey of 25,101 children in 19 European countries.
The survey shows that the majority of children in 19 European countries report using their smartphones ‘daily’ or ‘almost all the time’ and the time children now spend online varies between about two hours per day (Switzerland) and three-and-a-half hours (Norway).
But while the time that children spend online each day has almost doubled in some countries, compared with 2010, many have yet to receive any online safety advice from parents, teachers or friends. However, when children have a negative experience online, they mostly speak to parents or friends, and only rarely tell teachers or professionals whose job it is to actually help them.
The 19 participating countries are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK.