Young people 'are being raised online'
Updated on 24 March 2008
A generation of young people are being "raised online" due to the amount of time they spend on internet sites, according to a report.
Research by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) suggests many teens are spending more than 20 hours every week online and staying up into the early hours of the morning.
It warns that only a few parents have any idea about what their children are doing on the internet.
The report also argues that the Government and internet companies need to do more to protect children from inappropriate content and to enforce guidelines on the limits of acceptable behaviour.
Kay Withers, IPPR research fellow and report author, said: "The internet offers great benefits and opportunities for young people. But with kids spending an ever-increasing amount of time online, parents need to be reassured about what they are looking at."
"Government needs to improve media literacy programmes for kids and to make sure parents are aware of how they can support young people's positive online experiences. But more importantly internet companies need to take more responsibility for the content on their sites and promote acceptable behaviour."
The research comes ahead of the final report of the Byron Review of children and new technology, set up by Gordon Brown in 2007 and headed by Dr Tanya Byron.
It says that while many websites have their own guidelines, these are not always properly enforced. The researchers found that on YouTube, a search for the term "happy slap" delivered 117 videos posted in the last week and "street fight" 312 videos.
The report found 57 per cent of children have reported having come into contact with pornography on the internet, most of it accidentally such as in the form of pop-up adverts, and a quarter had received pornographic spam (junk emails).
It will recommend that Ofcom should produce an annual report on the effectiveness of initiatives aimed at tackling harmful internet content.
Unlike television programmes, internet content is not subject to any legal restrictions such as the Obscene Publications Act, Sexual Offences Act, and laws relating to race hatred, defamation and libel.
© Independent Television News Limited 2008. All rights reserved.
These news feeds are provided by an independent third party and Channel 4 is not responsible or liable to you for the same.
