Saskatchewan Federation of Police Officers 67 CanadianYouth and Internet Use Canadian children and youth are major users of the Internet. In fact, Canadian households are a world leader in Internet usage. Youth are using the Internet for social interaction, entertainment, education, information and other activities. • 99% of Canadian youth report they have used the Internet at some point. Almost 8 in 10 say they have Internet access at home. • Almost half say they use the Internet from home at least an hour every day. Kids say their parents know nothing about the sites they visit; parents say they do • When asked how much their parents know about web sites they visit almost 4 in 10 young people say their parents know very little or nothing. • When parents were asked about how much they knew about the sites their children visit, 71% said they knew a great deal or a fair bit. • More than one third of young people say they erase the history that shows the web sites they’ve visited. • 8 in 10 young people say their parents don’t talk to them at all or very little about what they do online. • While 78% of parents say they talk to their kids about their online habits a great deal or fair bit. • 50% of young people think their parents know less about the Internet than they do. Kids are on their own when using the Internet • A large percentage of young people are alone when they go online. 50% say they are alone most of the time. 33% say they are alone some of the time. • 15% of young people say they have met in person at least one friend they’ve made online. • Most youth have their own email accounts, but many parents are unaware they do. www.redcross.ca KIDS & THE INTERNET: THE FACTS Chat Rooms • 30% of 9-10 year olds go into chat rooms. For 11-12 years, the rate is 58%; 13-14 year olds is at 70%; 1517 years is 72%. • Of those who visit chat rooms, 26% of 9-10 year olds visit adult chat rooms; 37% for 11-12 years; and 66% for 15-17 year olds. • The majority of youth who visit private and adult-only chat rooms are at home but unsupervised (85%) and they have no household rule relating to this practice (82%). Exposure to Pornography/Sexual solicitation • More than half of young Internet users have received pornographic junk mail. Most did not tell their parents (78%). • Almost one-half of youth in secondary school say someone has made unwanted sexual comments to them on the Internet. • 21% of young Internet users indicated they would give out both their name and address online in order to win a prize. • About one-quarter of youth have their own personal web site. 57% of these provide their email address; 26% provide their full name and 22% provide a photograph of themselves. • Of all young Internet users, 60% have household rules about not giving out personal information about themselves or their family.
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