TIC Kids Online Brazil: Quality of Connection and Devices Affect Children's and Adolescents' Participation on the Internet

Survey by CGI.br presents unprecedented data on digital skills and privacy protection strategies in network usage

The quality of the connection and the availability of suitable devices for Internet access can limit the participation of children and adolescents in the digital environment. Launched this Wednesday (3), by the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br), the TIC Kids Online Brazil 2022 survey presents trends regarding access and the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) by children and adolescents.

Conducted by the Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society (Cetic.br) of the Brazilian Network Information Center (NIC.br), the survey, which produces indicators about opportunities and risks related to the online participation of the Brazilian population aged 9 to 17, showed that low speed and lack of phone credits are conditions frequently perceived by respondents for Internet use.

Among children and adolescent Internet users, 39% of those from classes DE, 30% from class C, and 18% from classes AB reported that they “always or almost always” feel the connection speed deteriorate. Also, 22% said they “always or almost always” run out of Internet because their phone credits ran out. The proportion was 15% for class AB users, 19% for class C respondents, and 28% for classes DE. Additionally, 25% of users from classes DE claimed they refrained from doing any online activity for fear of running out of credits.

The survey also showed that 11% of the total children and adolescents who are Internet users reported having been without a cellphone or computer for network access “always or almost always.” Breaking down this indicator by social class, the results were: 14% for DE, 12% for C, and 3% for AB.

"The main issue is not just having Internet access or not, but that Brazilian children and adolescents have suitable access conditions for meaningful connectivity, allowing them to develop digital skills and benefit from online participation. The access limit can restrict fundamental rights of this population in the information society," analyzes the manager of Cetic.br|NIC.br, Alexandre Barbosa.

Regarding the online well-being of children and adolescents, 19% of the population aged 9 to 17 reported that they “always or almost always” are upset or bothered by things that happen on the Internet. The proportions were higher for users aged 15 to 17 (22%), compared to those aged 11 to 12 (14%).

Activities and devices
Of the approximately 24 million (92%) Brazilian children and adolescents aged 9 to 17 who are Internet users, 86% reported having a social media profile (which represents approximately 21 million). Participation in social networks occurs in high proportions across all age groups, reaching almost all Internet users aged 15 to 17 (96%).

Listening to music (87%) and watching videos, shows, movies, or series (82%) are among the most carried out online practices by this audience – multimedia activities widely present on digital platforms. The study also revealed that 79% sent instant messages and 58% played games connected with other players.

The survey further indicates that 34% of respondents aged 9 to 17 sought health information on the Internet in the 12 months prior to the study. Additionally, 39% of users aged 9 to 17 say the Internet helped them deal better with a health problem.

Regarding the devices used to connect to the Internet, the cellphone was the most used by children and adolescents (96%), being the only device used by 56% of users. Network access by users aged 9 to 17 via computers was 43%, a smaller percentage than those who connected via television (63%). Internet access through television was higher in classes AB (91%) – the proportions for classes C and DE were 70% and 41%, respectively.

Digital skills
TIC Kids Online Brazil 2022 also investigated children's and adolescents' perceptions of their digital skills. In general, Internet users aged 11 to 17 show confidence in what are considered operational skills – such as downloading apps (94%) and connecting to a Wi-Fi network (90%). When asked if they knew how to check the amount spent on an app, the percentage was reported by the lowest proportion of respondents (46%).

Among informational skills, the proportion of users aged 11 to 17 who reported knowing how to choose what words to use to find something on the Internet was 77%. The percentage of those who reported knowing how to verify if information found online was correct was lower (57%), as was those who claimed to know how to check if a site was reliable (62%).

In the 2022 edition, the study presents unprecedented indicators on children and adolescents' knowledge of how digital platforms work. Approximately half (51%) of respondents aged 11 to 17 agreed that everyone finds the same information when searching for things on the Internet, while for 43% of them the first search result is always the best source of information.

Furthermore, according to the survey, 60% in this age group agreed that liking or sharing a publication can have a negative impact on other people, while half of the respondents in this age group agreed that the first publication seen on social media is the last posted by one of their contacts. Meanwhile, 74% agreed that companies pay people to use their products in videos and content posted online, and 61% that using hashtags increases the visibility of publications.

"In this edition, there was greater detailing in collecting indicators on digital skills, which are essential for understanding the participation of children and adolescents in the online environment. Overall, the survey indicates a higher prevalence of operational skills compared to informational skills, which are those that enable greater user resilience in the face of the disinformation phenomenon," highlights Barbosa.

Privacy
In 2022, the TIC Kids Online Brazil survey began investigating respondents' perceptions of attitudes and strategies to protect their privacy in network usage. According to the survey, 79% of Internet users aged 11 to 17 agreed they are careful with the personal information they post, and 73% with friend requests they accept online. In this same age group, 77% declared they only use applications or sites they trust, and 76% that they are careful with video links they click on.

A smaller percentage of respondents reported they provide only the minimum personal information possible when registering online (58%), and that they read the privacy terms of applications or websites they use (55%).

Regarding strategies adopted to protect their privacy, more than half of users aged 11 to 17 reported having blocked messages from someone they didn't want to talk to (63%); used secure passwords (58%); and changed privacy settings to restrict who could see their profile (52%). In smaller proportions, individuals in the same age group claimed to have already deleted their search history records (38%) and opted to use incognito or private browsing mode in a web browser (18%).

"TIC Kids Online Brazil plays an important role in generating evidence about Internet use by children and adolescents in the country, including their perception of issues like network privacy, so relevant at this moment," notes Renata Mielli, coordinator at CGI.br.

About the survey
The 9th edition of the TIC Kids Online Brazil survey personally interviewed 2,604 children and adolescents aged between 9 and 17, as well as their parents or guardians, across the national territory. The interviews took place between June 2022 and October 2022. TIC Kids Online Brazil is aligned with the methodological framework of the Global Kids Online project, coordinated by UNICEF and with the Kids Online Latin America network.

The complete list of indicators can be checked at https://cetic.br/pt/pesquisa/kids-online/indicadores/. To review the launch panel of the survey, please visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxs-WH392Zw.

Cetic.br also offers the microdata from the 9th edition of the study for download, in addition to complete tables of proportions, totals, and respective margins of error at: https://cetic.br/pt/pesquisa/kids-online/microdados/.

About Cetic.br
The Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society (Cetic.br), part of NIC.br, is responsible for producing indicators and statistics on Internet access and use in Brazil, providing periodic analysis and information on the development of the network in the country. Cetic.br|NIC.br is also a Regional Study Center under UNESCO's auspices and completed 17 years of operation in 2022. More information at https://cetic.br/.

About the Brazilian Network Information Center – NIC.br
The Brazilian Network Information Center — NIC.br (https://nic.br/) is a private, non-profit civil entity responsible for operating the .br domain as well as distributing IP numbers and registering Autonomous Systems in the country. Since 2005, NIC.br has implemented decisions and projects of the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee - CGI.br, and all resources raised come from its activities that are purely private in nature. It leads actions and projects that benefit the Internet infrastructure in Brazil. NIC.br includes: Registro.br (https://registro.br), CERT.br (https://cert.br/), Ceptro.br (https://ceptro.br/), Cetic.br (https://cetic.br/), IX.br (https://ix.br/) and Ceweb.br (https://ceweb.br), in addition to projects like Internetsegura.br (https://internetsegura.br/) and the Good Practices for Internet in Brazil Portal (https://bcp.nic.br/). It also hosts the office of the W3C Chapter São Paulo (https://w3c.br/).

About the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee – CGI.br
The Brazilian Internet Steering Committee, responsible for establishing strategic guidelines related to the Internet's use and development in Brazil, coordinates and integrates all Internet service initiatives in the country, promoting technical quality, innovation, and the dissemination of offered services. Based on principles of multistakeholderism and transparency, CGI.br represents a democratic Internet governance model, praised internationally, in which all sectors of society are equitably involved in its decisions. One of its formulations is the 10 Principles for Internet Governance and Use (https://cgi.br/resolucoes/documento/2009/003). More information at https://cgi.br/.

Press Contacts – NIC.br:

Weber Shandwick
https://webershandwick.com.br/
PABX: (11) 3027-0200 / 3531-4950
Ana Nascimento - anascimento@webershandwick.com - (11) 98670-6579 

Communication Advisory – NIC.br
Carolina Carvalho - Communication Manager - carolcarvalho@nic.br
Soraia Marino - Communication Coordinator - soraia@nic.br 

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