Survey highlights use of ICTs by Brazilian children

Indicators reveal that computers and mobile phones are part of the daily activities of Brazilian children aged five to nine years

The Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br) announces the results of the 2nd Survey on the Use of Information and Communication Technologies by Children in Brazil — ICT Kids 2010.

Conducted by the Brazilian Center for Information and Communication Technologies (CETIC.br), responsible for producing indicators and statistics for NIC.br, the survey assessed the ownership and use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) among children aged five to nine years across the entire Brazilian territory. According to the indicators, Internet access is still lower than computer use. The survey revealed that 51% of children have already used a computer and only 27% reported having used the Internet.

Access location
The location where children access the Internet has some specificities: while the home is the most mentioned access place among children living in urban areas in the country (48%), in rural areas, the most cited place is the school (52%), which may reflect a lower proportion of the use of information and communication technologies in Brazilian households located in rural zones.

With whom they learn
In terms of acquiring ICT-related skills, 20% of children who use computers stated they learned part of their skills on their own. Despite the importance of family members in the skill acquisition process, the teacher stands out as the most mentioned by children in both urban and rural areas, with a total of 37% across Brazil. "It's worth noting that there are differences between urban and rural areas: in rural areas, teachers gain even more relevance and the proportion of children who declare learning to use ICTs alone is lower, at 14%, while in urban areas this indicator is 21%," says Alexandre Barbosa, manager of CETIC.br.

Activities
“Online games” (90%) and “search for information for school” (45%) are the most cited online activities among children aged five to nine years, serving as a gateway for them to ICT use. The data reveal that children are also present on social networks: 29% of those who have already used the Internet are on Facebook or Orkut. Additionally, 25% exchange instant messages and 10% report sending emails.

Mobile phone
More than half of the children aged five to nine years (59%) reported having already used a mobile phone. In urban areas this proportion is 61%, while in rural areas it is 48%. Among those who have used a mobile phone, the proportion of those who use it to make calls (64%) is lower than those who use the device for games (84%).

Online child protection and safety
The survey reveals that 21% of parents or guardians of children aged five to nine years who used the Internet in the three months prior to the survey do not control or restrict their children's Internet use. Among those who do, while 40% talk to guide their children about Internet use, 15% reported blocking websites as a way to control children's use.

Regarding the location of the computer within households, 44% of parents/guardians who own computers state that these are located in the living room, a place with frequent resident traffic; 24% of computers are located in the parents'/guardians' bedroom, a more conducive environment for supervised use. On the other hand, 21% of parents/guardians state the computer is in the child's room.

A large part of children uses the Internet alone (39%), followed by use with the mother (35%), with relatives (29%), at school with teachers (28%), with friends (25%), and with the father (18%). "It's important to emphasize that mediation in the use of ICTs is crucial for the child to learn to navigate safely on the Internet and enjoy its opportunities," adds Alexandre.

More information about the survey is available at www.cetic.br.

About CETIC.br
The Center for Information and Communication Technologies (CETIC.br) is responsible for producing indicators and statistics on Internet availability and use in Brazil, providing periodic analyses and information on the network's development in the country. More information at https://www.cetic.br/.

About the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee – CGI.br
The Brazilian Internet Steering Committee coordinates and integrates all Internet service initiatives in the country, promoting technical quality, innovation, and the dissemination of the services offered. More information at www.cgi.br.

About the Brazilian Network Information Center – NIC.br
NIC.br (www.nic.br) is a civil, nonprofit entity that implements the decisions and projects of the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br). NIC.br's ongoing activities include coordinating domain name registration — Registro.br (www.registro.br), studying, responding to, and addressing security incidents in Brazil – CERT.br (www.cert.br), studying and researching network technologies and operations – CEPTRO.br (www.ceptro.br), producing indicators on information and communication technologies — CETIC.br (www.cetic.br) and hosting the W3C office in Brazil (www.w3c.br).

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