‘You can’t tell what’s real and what’s not’
Parents have been urged to talk to their children about safe internet use, writes Esther Ashby-Coventry.
Research shows almost 50 per cent of New Zealand teenagers have been exposed to potentially harmful online content which could include selfharm and suicide material.
A new study, Nga¯ taiohi matihiko o Aotearoa-New Zealand Kids Online, released by Netsafe on Tuesday to mark Safer Internet Day also showed 20 per cent of Kiwi teenagers had accessed self harm material and 17 per cent had read ‘‘how-tosuicide guides’’.
The New Zealand Children’s Experiences of Online Risks and their Perceptions of Harm research surveyed the internet habits of more than 2000 teens aged between 13 and 17.
Of the teenagers who reported being exposed to potentially harmful content, not just self harm or suicide information, 28 per cent said they were ‘‘fairly’’ or ‘‘very’’ upset and that number was higher for girls (38 per cent) compared with boys (18 per cent).
While South Canterbury experts say the results show parents need to discuss online safety with their children, one Timaru teenager said there was ‘‘a sense of powerlessness about getting rid of objectionable material online’’.
Rosie Pilgrim, 16, said that if something online was reported to authorities and taken down, it would appear elsewhere as it had already been shared.
A video showing someone abusing dogs upset her when it was circulating on social media last year.
Her only way to deal with the images which haunted her was talking to friends and trying not to think about it.
‘‘I could not believe people were that callous,’’ she said.
The majority (69 per cent) of research participants turned to a parent after experiencing an upsetting online incident, 37 per cent chose a friend and 17 per cent a sibling.
Eleven per cent did not speak to anyone.
Rosie said that sometimes friends were better to discuss such things with as family had ‘‘higher expectations’’ and would not drop the topic until something was done about it whereas friends did not make ‘‘such a big deal’’.
She thought the older generation was shocked by what her age group accessed online because just a decade ago there was no vehicle for circulating it as easily.
Rosie said she had looked up some suicide information online to help other people who were struggling.
‘‘I was looking to see the warning signs.
‘‘There were not a lot of people to talk to and it kind of helped ...
‘‘It solidifies thoughts I already had which may help or make it worse. It is not always the best for advice [online]. It is probably better to talk to a guidance counsellor.’’
Rosie said that in her three years of high school she knew of
four people who had attempted suicide and added there were many her age self harming or had eating disorders.
She blamed the images of influencers online who looked impossibly perfect, leading youngsters to be dissatisfied with their own appearances.
‘‘You can’t tell what’s real and what’s not.’’
The research also found almost 40 per cent of children have had contact with a stranger online and 10 per cent met them in person.
More boys physically met their online contacts than girls.
Rosie’s mother, Rachel Pilgrim, worries about what her children can access online and how easy it is for teenagers to share it.
‘‘If you do not let them online at home, there are so many others who will show them.’’
She was shocked that other parents she knew had allowed their child to meet up with someone they had found online.
‘‘They chaperoned them. I was blown away.’’
Timaru-based New Zealand Association of Counsellors president Christine Macfarlane said she was not surprised by the research results as many teenagers immediately went on Google to look up anything they wanted to know.
She said teenagers had poor impulse control and parents needed to talk to their children at an early age about the importance of being safe online and what was OK or not in the same way one would talk about stranger danger.
Netsafe chief executive Martin Cocker said the figures signified that a quantity of teens were looking at harmful information and though some would act on it, others would not.
Some were just curious or it had been a spin-off from another web page, Cocker said.
The problem was knowing when intervention was required which could only be decided on a case-by-case basis, he said.
South Canterbury District Health Board suicide prevention co-ordinator Professor Annette Beautrais said the research results were concerning and she offered guidelines for parents.
‘‘Parents should discuss digital safety with their children, and can use technical fixes to regulate what their children see and how long they spend online.
‘‘It is just as important for parents to build trust with their children and maintain discussion, education and negotiation with them about keeping safe online.’’
Beautrais said the more teenagers were involved in sport and other activities, the less time they had to spend on their digital devices and subsequently they were less influenced by it.
The first part of the research was released in January and showed a third of Kiwi teenagers were missing out on food and sleep to spend more time online.
‘‘Parents should discuss digital safety with their children.’’
Professor Annette Beautrais
Suicide prevention co-ordinator