Elo Gauthier Lamothe, The Canadian press
MONTREAL – School-age Canadians are increasingly active on social media and 77% of them already own their smartphones.
This was revealed by the “Life online” report, a study conducted by the MediaSmarts organization during the pandemic that aims to provide an insight into the digital life of young people.
Data collected from more than 1058 respondents reveals that 86% of children between the ages of 9 and 11 have an account on at least one platform that requires users to be over 13.
Unsurprisingly, YouTube (50%), TikTok (42%) and Instagram (38%) are on the podium of the most popular platforms in this age group. The Facebook and Snapchat networks closely follow, reaching 37% and 28% respectively.
For Marc-Alexandre Ladouceur, media literacy specialist and survey data analyst, this popularity is partly explained by the creative possibilities offered by the YouTube and TikTok platforms, but also by the desperate need of young people to communicate with their friends.
“The fact that young people move from one platform to another stems from a question of identity development and independence; the discovery of new platforms therefore offers them the opportunity to test different identities with different audiences, “she explains in an interview.
An emerging social network, new or less popular among the elderly, is all the more attractive to young people, who can interact with their peers and realize this personal development away from the eyes of their parents.
By studying the digital behavior of children over the past two decades, the researchers also noticed a noticeable change in their attitude towards social networks.
During the previous research phase, which took place between 2011 and 2014, the vast majority of participants said they derive some joy from using social networks. Today, this proportion has decreased significantly.
“The feelings associated with the use of social networks have become less positive, because only 35% of the young people interviewed said they found joy in using them,” Ladouceur said.
This perception is explained by a multitude of factors, continues the researcher, but could be enhanced by FOMO (“fear of getting lost”) – in French, “the fear of missing something”. This fear of not being on time for certain events in their social life can encourage young people to increase their consumption of content, thus leading to excessive use of digital.
“We also know that we publish material on social media to better present ourselves. This can cause those who see the publications to have adverse reactions, ie they consider themselves less than this information “, adds Marc-Alexandre Ladouceur.
The role of parents
The Life Online report is part of the fourth phase of Young Canadians in a Wired World (JCMB), Canada’s longest-running research study on young people’s attitudes, behaviors and opinions in relation to digital media.
Since the project began in 1999, researchers have spoken to more than 20,000 parents, students and teachers to draw a complete picture of the situation. In the eyes of Mr. Ladouceur, some discoveries are nothing short of surprising.
“Contrary to what we said before, we found that it is not young people who ask for technology at home, it is parents who take the initiative to offer them the technology. Often the intention is to follow them throughout the day to find out where they are, if they are okay, in short, their security intentions, “she stresses.
If parents play a significant role in the digital use of their children, the latter also have an often underestimated capacity for introspection, says the specialist.
“Almost half of young people – we are talking about 44% – said they were worried about the time they spent online. They are therefore aware of the fact that they spend too much time on the screens, but they do not know how to regulate themselves.
In Mr. Ladouceur’s eyes, this awareness is a crucial “gateway” to educating children about their online activity. In this sense, the report indicates that 9 out of 10 young people said they are subject to house rules when it comes to online activities, in particular with regard to respect for others, prohibited websites, the publication of their contact details. and interactions with strangers.
“What we see is that house rules help self-regulation. […] Training in media literacy must also be done with parents, and this both according to the parents and according to the research ”, sums up Ladouceur.
–
This article was produced with financial support from Meta Fellowships and the Canadian Press for News.
