RASSEGNA WEB
PRNEWSWIRE.CO.UK
Data pubblicazione: 16/09/2015
HiQPdf Evaluation 09/16/2015
Send a release
Become a client
For journalists
Global sites
Products & Services
Knowledge Centre
Browse News Releases
Search
Regulatory News Search
Products & Services Meet the Media
News Releases
Contact PR Newswire
See more news releases in Internet Technology | Multimedia & Internet | Social Media | Public Safety
FOSI and Telecom Italia Host 'Global Trends in Online Safety: Creating a National
Framework'
88% OF ITALIAN ADOLESCENTS BETWEEN 9 AND 17 YEARS OLD ACCESS SOCIAL NETWORKS AND WHATSAPP AT LEAST
ONCE A DAY FROM THEIR MOBILE TELEPHONES
Journalists and Bloggers
EXPOSURE TO VIOLENT AND RACIST CONTENTS GROWS (44% IN THE 15-17 YEAR OLD AGE RANGE AND 36% FOR 13 TO 14YEAR-OLDS). SEXTING AND BULLYING AMONGST THE EXPERIENCES POTENTIALLY INVOLVING THE VERY YOUNG
TIM, in partnership with the Family Online Safety Institute, hosted today in Rome "Global Trends in Online Safety: Creating
a National Framework" an international conference on the prevention of risks for children online. Results of the TIM Cattolica del Sacro Cuore University research presented: "Smartphones, social network and instant messaging services:
challenges for children, parents and teachers" ROME, Sept. 16, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The smartphone has been confirmed as the undisputed leading tool used in Italy by 9
to 17-year-olds to access the Internet: 88% access social networks or instant messaging services like WhatsApp from their
mobile phones at least once a day and this rises to 94% in 13 to 14-year-olds and even 95% in 15 to 17-year-olds. Risks on
the web for the very young include exposure to objectionable "user-generated" contents, whereas sexting and bullying are to a
lesser extent.
These are the main results of the research carried out on a sample of 350 young girls and boys representing the Italian
population aged 9-17 years old "Smartphones, social network and instant messaging services: challenges for children,
parents and teachers" presented today in Rome at the "Global Trends in Online Safety: Creating a National Framework"
conference, an event developed and co-hosted by the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) and TIM. More specifically, the
meeting was organised in order to bring important experts on online safety for children and adolescents together to discuss
the important efforts made in Italy to create a national digital strategy.
The research (led by Giovanna Mascheroni) takes a look at the trends already seen in the European study Net Children Go
Mobile and highlights in particular the surprising data concerning children aged 9-10, three quarters of whom use a
smartphone to access WhatsApp, Facebook and, to a lesser extent, YouTube. The research reveals how the use of
smartphones goes hand-in-hand with increased internet risks, relating to the dissemination of problematic user-generated
contents:
exposure to violent and racist contents - referred to as "hate speech" - increases on social networks: 36% of 13 to 14year-olds and 44% of 15 to 17-year-olds have seen people posting discriminatory, racist and violent messages on social
networks;
sexting (i.e. texting of a sexual nature) is another "at risk" scenario mentioned by the younger users, even if more than half
of those who have received this type of message declare that they were not overly disturbed by it; the phenomenon rises
with age - regarding 15% of 15 to 17-years-old, 7% of 13 to 14-year-olds and just 3% of pre-adolescents aged 11-12
years old - and girls are more affected than boys - 11% as compared with 9% - with the issue mainly taking place on
Facebook;
bullying is fairly rare - 9% of those interviewed had been victim to bullying on- or offline last year - but also the most painful
experiences are confirmed as involving young boys and girls. Two thirds of those who had been "bullied" declare that they
had suffered a lot or quite a lot for the events; bullying grows amongst the very young, but in children between 9 and 10
years old these interactions remain mainly face-to-face. It is from middle school onwards that reference is made to cyberbullying, mainly on WhatsApp amongst pre-adolescents, and Facebook amongst adolescents.
The research also shows how Italian parents are today concerned about their children's safety on the internet. Two out of three
parents make suggestions to their children as to how they should behave on social networks and respond to friend requests
made by people they do not know, yet parents tend to consider adolescents and pre-adolescents as most at risk, whereas
younger children are less monitored.
Teachers, on the other hand, are not very active in mediating the use of the internet and social networks or messaging, with just
one in three teachers suggesting how to make safe use of communication platform.
By presenting the research data, the event gave rise to an international discussion about safety on the web and public-private
synergies for the creation of a national framework for online safety suggesting ways that governments, industry and NGOs
need to develop and implement solutions locally and at international level. The following contributed and gave addresses:
Giuseppe Recchi (Chairman of Telecom Italia), Stephen Balkam (CEO, FOSI), Antonello Giacomelli (Under Secretary of the
Ministry of Economic Development), Marlene Holzner (Cabinet Member of EU Commissioner Gunther Oettinger - Digital
Economy and Society), Joanna Shields (UK Minister for Internet Safety and Security) and a diverse range of international
internet safety and security experts.
In focussing on the digital challenges worldwide, TIM has confirmed its commitment to creating a digital strategy to ensure that
use of new technologies becomes an essential principle for social inclusion and economic development, creating real value
for the community. Today's initiative comes as part of TIMs Corporate Shared Value activities #ilfuturoèditutti, a programme of
activities based on creating common values with the communities the Telecom Italia Group operates in.
"We are delighted to be partnering with TIM on this timely and important conference", said Stephen Balkam, CEO of the Family
Online Safety Institute. "We hope other countries will look to the Italian experience when creating a national framework for
online safety." Giuseppe Recchi, Chairman of Telecom Italia: "Today's initiative is another important piece of the strategy that the Telecom
Italia Group is pursuing to bridge the country's digital culture gap. We are ever more committed to developing educational
routes and tools for the younger generation, their parents and teachers, encouraging the introduction of digital technologies into
schools to help develop greater responsibility and a critical sense, as both are so necessary today if we are to recognise the
innate possible risks and dangers involved in the use of technology."
Telecom Italia Press Office +39 06 3688 2610 telecomitaliapressoffice@telecomitalia.it
FOSI Press Contact Emily Mulder +44 (0)788 90 94192 events@fosi.org
Visit PR Newswire for
Journalists for releases, photos
and customised feeds just for
Media.
View and download archived video
content distributed by MultiVu on
The Digital Center.