- Internet Matters (2018)
In addition to the typical online safety concerns around content, contact and conduct, parents are beginning to be concerned about newer emerging challenges for their children associated with livestreaming and vlogging.
More than a quarter of children aged six to 10, and around a third of 11- to 13-year-olds, regularly or sometimes livestream. Parents tell us that 70 per cent of children regularly or occasionally watch vlogs - with numbers rising as children become teenagers (45 per cent of four- to five-year-olds compared with 79 per cent of 14- to 16-year-olds).
Internet Matters commissioned research of 2,039 parents of children aged four to 16 in the UK to better understand parental views towards children watching and creating vlogs and livestreams.
Who livestreams and vlogs?
Parents say 23 per cent of children create and post vlogs regularly or occasionally - although this is unevenly spread over the age ranges. Significantly more boys than girls do this, with one-fifth of girls creating vlogs and more than a quarter of boys doing so.
Creating content starts at an early age: younger children, under the age of 10, seek permission from parents and tend to ask them for help in setting up accounts where they can create and share content. Older children, aged 11 and above, create and share content within their existing accounts on platforms already being used.
The average age a child starts creating livestream videos is eight and a half and their interest in creating them declines as a child gets older, with 30 per cent of 11 to 13-year-olds creating livestreams compared with 17 per cent of 14- to 16-year-olds. Of those parents whose children are watching livestream content, a quarter have said they are watching content created by friends.
Positives and opportunities
Some parents recognise there are creative opportunities and technical skills to be learned through vlogging and livestreaming and want to support their children to do that well. For some children, livestream video is the new way to communicate with one another. It provides a creative outlet and space where children can express and showcase their talents, and is an extension of play.
Parents claim that creating content has a positive impact on their child's confidence. The sense of independence and self-worth when producing creative content provides children with a sense of achievement. Parents also believe having competency in the latest technology is valuable for their child's development and means they are not left behind their peers.
Concerns
Despite the positive aspects of vlogging and livestreaming, creating vlogs and livestream content is a concern to parents mainly because:
- Livestreaming is instant so there is no way of retracting content once shared.
- Vlogs and livestream videos shared online are open to a vast audience that extends beyond their friendship group.
Parents are worried their child will accidentally or deliberately share personal information online. With no way of knowing who has seen them, it is hard to establish the level of damage control required.
Younger children in particular are felt to be easily led by what they are watching. Parents reported seeing a change in their child's behaviour which they claim correlates with what they have seen in vlogs and livestreams.
Parents feel that if their child creates vlogs or livestreams their own content, they could be opened up to bullying.
One of the most interesting findings is the division of opinion between those parents who vlog or livestream themselves and who encourage or support their children to do the same, compared with those who do not, and have significant levels of concern about it. Older siblings are also a key factor in introducing children to content creation.
Parents whose children don't currently vlog or livestream are reluctant to allow them to start. The report found that of those parents, 86 per cent won't allow their child to create a public vlog and 96 per cent won't allow their child to livestream.
Implications for practice
The research demonstrates strongly that parents want more information to educate themselves in order to keep their children safe online in four key areas:
- More information on the distinctionbetween vlogs and livestreams as well as the capabilities within platforms
Parents need clear explanations of what they mean and what children can and cannot do. - Simple instructions on applying parental controls and privacy settings on unfamiliar platforms
Most parents have a good understanding of how to use Facebook or YouTube as they are using these sites themselves, but are less confident about platforms where they have limited or no experience. - A clear destination for finding information
There is an opportunity to help educate parents and provide them with the relevant information all in one place as well as providing specific problem-solving tools. - How to nip problems in the bud
Parents want to know what to do if something does go wrong and to avoid situations escalating.
Internet Matters is an organisation of online safety experts that help families keep their children safe online
