an alarming new report on the uses of digital technology by the youngest

For a decade, 3 million students in CM2 cl have followed the Internet Permit system, to make them aware of the uses of digital technology. spyrakot / stock.adobe.com

Younger and younger children to surf the Internet, and less aware of the dangers than their elders. This is the bitter observation made by a study published this Thursday by the Axa Prévention ociation, on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the internet permita national prevention program for vigilant, safe and responsible use of digital technology for CM2 children and their parents.

For a decade, this system, created jointly by Axa Prévention and the national gendarmerie, has made it possible to raise the awareness of nearly 3 million students. “We want to step up this prevention, which is absolutely necessary» reacts Éric Lemaire, president of the ociation. To carry out its study, Axa Prévention relied on an online questionnaire, carried out by a sample of more than 1,000 couples and children.

The results of the survey reveal that nearly one out of two children aged 9 to 11 (52% precisely) is connected to internet almost every day. And 22% are already registered on one or more social networks, despite their theoretical ban on children under 13.

Snapchat and TikTok popular with college students

Among college students, this figure reaches 40% with the use of YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok and WhatsApp, which are the most popular apps. However, this use is accompanied by a relative apprehension of the dangers of digital technology by these same pre-adolescents, who are often exposed to violent content (57%), ography (39%) and degrading content (23%).

Indeed, if 62% of children are aware of the existence of this unsuitable content on the internet, this figure is down 9 points compared to 2013.This result challenges us but it is due to a trivialization of the use of the Internet by the entire population.», notes Éric Lemaire. “ At the same time, there is an increasing complexity of the dangers present on the web“, he continues.

In ten years, the youngest have nevertheless learned to recognize certain problems related to social networks very early on. Most have knowledge from primary school of what the cyber harment : they are 82%, notes the study, against 78% in 2019. Despite everything, more than half still do not know how to act in the face of such a situation if they witness it.

Destitute parents

In families, parents are generally worried to see their offspring surfing the web so young. “ Ten years ago, they were overwhelmed by the entry of digital into their lives, today they know the existing threats for their childrenremarks Eric Lemaire. The majority (93%) even try to impose limits on this exposure on screens but nearly one in two families say they struggle to carry out a truly effective control.

According to parents, the top 3 shocking content to which their child was exposed in 2023 is: violence (57%), ography (39%) and degrading, offensive content (23%).

Source: the Axa prevention study, carried out as part of the 10th anniversary of the Internet Permit.

“ The parents surveyed recognize a difficulty in maintaining rules without creating conflict with their teenagers“, laments the president of the ociation, for whom the supervision of the time spent on the Internet by children should be systematic in homes. A measure that the government wants to make concrete, by imposing the parental control by default on all devices sold on its soil. The implementing decree was presented to the National embly last February by the Minister for the Digital Transition Jean-Noel Barrot. Since validated by the European Commission, the text in question must now be examined by the Council of State.

In general, the ratio of 9-11 year olds without any digital supervision has increased, from 13 to 20% in ten years, underlines the report by Axa Prévention. Faced with this, only one solution, young people must be trained throughout their schooling in the use of digital technology, especially when they are left to their own devices“, insists Éric Lemaire. The president of the ociation points out that during school holidays, more than half of the children see their connection time increase.