Children’s experience with harmful content online
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15633/sce.01301Keywords:
children, Internet, harmful online content, emotional problems, sensation seekingAbstract
Children and young people’s use of the Internet inevitably involves the possibility of encountering what we collectively refer to as “harmful” or “toxic” content. In our research sample, approximately 40% of respondents reported such experiences. One prominent category of harmful content includes material promoting extreme thinness, including pro-anorexia and pro-bulimia websites. Among all respondents, 5% encountered such content daily, with a significant gender difference—9% of girls compared with 1% of boys. The likelihood of exposure also increased with age. Young Internet users experiencing emotional difficulties or a strong tendency to seek out novel and risky experiences reported more frequent exposure to harmful content. While an accepting family environment appears to be a possible protective factor, the low correlation suggests this influence is limited.
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