© Luc Rollmann
A recent report from the internet safety initiative Bee Secure reveals that 35% of children are interacting with internet-enabled devices before the age of four, highlighting a trend towards early digital exposure and raising concerns about screen time and online safety among young users.
The findings are based on a survey carried out among children, youths, parents, as well as teachers.
By the age of ten, 81% of children are said to have had access to an internet-enabled device.
Bee Secure also enquired about what children do when using such devices, with coordinator Debbie Plein further elaborating on the results of the survey: "It is very interesting, because parents say the first activities are watching photos, films, and videos. Children aged eight to twelve are often unable to remember how old they were when first using a smartphone or similar device. They then also cite watching films and photos or playing games as the first activities they can remember."
The most popular apps among children aged eight to 18 are WhatsApp, Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram.
Bee Secure found that screen time is generally elevated. About half of parents admit that they themselves are spending too much time looking at their smartphones or tablets. Among adolescents between the age of twelve and 16, the figure is 45%.
Plein commented: "If you then ask what is still healthy and when does it start becoming problematic, then you find that formerly accepted norms have slowly shifted. Experts gtom the ZEV, the Centre for Excessive Behaviour and Addiction, advise monitoring the situation."
According to the report, the term "dependence" is often used, against which Plein advises as there are a number of factors, such as other activities, to be considered. When asked about their favourite past times, 46% of youths enlist sports, followed by meeting friends and relatives at 11%, and video games at 9%.
One in five young people report having been the victim of a cyber crime at least once in their life. The Bee Secure helpline finds that an increasing number of children have been subjected to 'sextorsion', meaning they have been blackmailed after having sent intimate pictures to someone.
