-
93% of teenagers believe they should change their current technology usage habits
In a global context marked by digitalization, the use of technology by children and adolescents is a growing concern for families, educators and experts. In order to shed light on this reality, GAD3 has conducted a study for the Orange Foundation and Save the Children, which has published the report Childhood and adolescence in digital environments, based on interviews with more than 2,500 people and the participation of 17 experts in the field. The study was presented at a press conference at the Orange Digital Center in Madrid, with the participation of Luz Usamentiaga, Director of Regulation, Public Affairs and Sustainability and trustee of the Orange Foundation; Andrés Conde, CEO of Save the Children and Narciso Michavila, President of GAD3.
-
Socialization and digital leisure: two sides of the coin
Mobile devices have become the main tool for social interaction for young people. Nine out of 10 adolescents say that the activity they do most on their cell phones is chatting with their friends, followed by watching series or videos. However, this intensive consumption also generates problems such as insomnia, sedentary lifestyles and poor academic performance.
-
Screen consumption: a necessary self-criticism
The study reveals that 93% of adolescents consider that they should modify their digital habits. Among the main measures proposed by themselves are reducing the time spent online (54%), increasing the practice of physical activities (39%) and avoiding sleeping near digital devices (34%). However, 14% say that their parents use their cell phones more than they do.
-
Digital risks: footprint and privacy concerns
46% of adolescents are concerned about the digital footprint they leave on the Internet, while more than half admit not knowing how to adequately protect their personal information. In addition, 13% have been victims of digital harassment, a problem that also affects the educational environment, where 28% of teachers have witnessed situations of this type.
-
The role of parents and monitoring tools
Parental control tools are considered one of the main measures to be taken to protect children and adolescents, with 40% of parents and 32% of adults who are not parents. More than 60% of parents say they use some tool to see or limit what their children do on the Internet.
-
The role of education and teachers
The report also addresses the potential as a learning tool, but warns of the need for ethical and supervised use. It stresses the importance of encouraging critical thinking in young people to avoid uncritical acceptance of the information generated by these technologies.
Technical data
Universe: General population, parents with children under 18 years of age, adolescents between 14 and 17 years of age and teachers.
Geographical scope: National (Spain).
Information collection procedure: Computer-assisted online survey (CAWI).
Sample size: 2,510 interviews. With the following distribution:
Sampling error: ±2.0% (n=2,510); ±3.0% (n=1,145); ±3.9% (n=648); ±4.5% (n=506); ±7.1% (n=201); for a confidence level of 95.5% (two sigmas) and in the worst case scenario of P=Q=0.5 under the assumption of simple random sampling.
Interview duration: 5-7 minutes approximately.
Fieldwork dates: November 12-18, 2024.
