 |
| CNN WEB SITES: |
|
| TIME INC. SITES: |
| MORE SERVICES: |
| video on demand |
| video archive |
| audio on demand |
| news email services |
| free email accounts |
| desktop headlines |
| pointcast |
| pagenet |
| DISCUSSION: |
| message boards |
| chat |
| feedback |
| SITE GUIDES: |
| help |
| contents |
| search |
| FASTER ACCESS: |
| europe |
| japan |
| WEB SERVICES: |
From...
Why and how much kids go online
August 11, 1998
Web posted at: 4:11 PM ET
by Industry Standard staff
(IDG) -- Isn't it cute when you see a child earnestly pushing her mouse around, mouth agape, clicking endlessly? Will it be as cute when there are nearly eight times as many kids online? Though only 2.7 million kids ages 2 to 12 were online in 1997, that figure is expected to increase to 20.9 million by 2002. Part of the increase is due to the pending release of federal funds to wire schools. But Jupiter Communications analyst Patrick Keane says school Internet access also will be hastened by educators who realize that the Web is an "integral part of the educational curriculum."
Kids go online to learn and have fun. "The Web is another window on their world," says Debbie McCaffery, director of online analysis and planning for MTV Networks. MTV's research suggests kids understand the strengths of TV and the Web and use both heavily.
But this youthful exuberance is what concerns parents the most. In June, based on research that said only 23 percent of sites told kids to get a parent's permission before giving information online, the FTC asked Congress to protect kids' online privacy.
SCHOOL ACCESS WILL BROADEN UNIVERSE OF KIDS ONLINE
| 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | |
| Total U.S. Kids Age 2–12 (millions) | 42.7 | 43.1 | 43.3 | 43.4 | 43.6 | 43.6 | 44.3 |
| Total Kids Online | 1.4 | 2.7 | 5.1 | 7.9 | 11.5 | 15.9 | 20.9 |
| From Home | 1.4 | 2.6 | 4.6 | 6.7 | 9.0 | 11.6 | 14.9 |
| From School Only | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 2.5 | 4.3 | 6.0 |
| Percent Online | 3% | 6% | 12% | 18% | 26% | 36% | 47% |
Source: Jupiter Communications
PERCENT OF KIDS WITH HOME ONLINE ACCESS WHO ARE ONLINE
| 1997 | 2002 | |
| Age 2–4 | 14% | 24% |
| Age 5–9 | 25% | 43% |
| Age 10–12 | 36% | 54% |
Source: Jupiter Communications
KIDS ARE MORE LIKELY THAN ADULTS TO ENJOY THE WEB
| TOTAL U.S. | KIDS AGE 4 – 11 | |
| Like Using a PC at Home | 40% | 60% |
| Like Exploring the World Wide Web | 29% | 44% |
Source: MTV Networks Leisure Time Study
KIDS AS CONVERGENCE PIONEERS?
| COMPARED TO ONE YEAR AGO: | PERCENT |
| Watch TV the Same Amount or More Than One Year Ago | 75% |
| Use Their Computer the Same Amount or More Than One Year Ago | 83% |
Source: MTV Networks Leisure Time Study
GIRLS LIKE CHAT AND CREATIVE ACTIVITY, BOYS LIKE DOWNLOADS
Reasons For Going Online Among Kids Age 7–14
| TOTAL | BOYS | GIRLS | |
| Gather Information | 67% | 66% | 69% |
| Play Games | 65% | 68% | 62% |
| Chat/Message Boards | 49% | 44% | 56% |
| Creative Activities | 48% | 40% | 57% |
| Download Stuff | 46% | 54% | 38% |
Source: 1998 Nickelodeon Online Attitude and Usage Study
PRIVACY POLICIES ON SITES AIMED AT CHILDREN
| ACTIVITY | PERCENT |
| Collect Personal Info From Kids* | 89% |
| Post an Information-Disclosure Statement | 54% |
| Tell Kids to Ask Parents Before Giving Info | 23% |
| EXAMPLES OF INFORMATION COLLECTED | PERCENT |
| E-mail Address | 96% |
| Name | 74% |
| Postal Address | 49% |
| Age/Birthdate | 46% |
| Gender | 25% |
| Phone Number | 24% |
| Income | 3% |
| Social Security Number | 1% |
| Credit Card Number | 0% |
* Defined as an opportunity to provide personal information, in which the information is not necessarily required to use site.
Source: Federal Trade Commission, "Report to Congress on Privacy Online." Based on examination of 212 sites aimed at children.
|
| ||
|---|---|---|
|
IDG.net home page | |
| Industry Standard home page | ||
| Industry Standard email newsletters | ||
| Industry Standard daily Media Grok | ||
| Industry Standard financial news | ||
| Industry Standard e-commerce stories | ||
| Computerworld "Emmerce" | ||
|
Fusion financial report Free registration required to access this site | ||
| InfoWorld Internet commerce section | ||
| Reviews & in-depth info at IDG.net | ||
| IDG.net's personal news page | ||
| Questions about computers? Let IDG.net's editors help you | ||
|
Search IDG.net in 12 languages | ||
| Subscribe to IDG.net's free daily newsletter for computer industry cognoscenti | ||
| News Radio | ||
|
Fusion audio primers | |
|
|
Computerworld Minute | |
| DOMAIN | REACH (percent) |
| Yahoo | 23.2 |
| AOL | 21.8 |
| Netscape | 19 |
| Microsoft | 11.7 |
| Excite | 11.4 |
| Geocities | 10.4 |
| Disney Online | 10.4 |
| Macromedia | 6.1 |
| Infoseek | 5.3 |
| ATT.net | 5.3 |
| Lycos | 5.2 |
| Ty | 5 |
| MSN | 5 |
| Nickelodeon* | 5 |
| Hotmail | 4.9 |
| Warner Bros. | 4.1 |
| Webcrawler | 4 |
| Pathfinder | 3.8 |
| Bonzi | 3.7 |
| Alta Vista | 3.6 |
| Sony Online | 3.6 |
| Simplenet | 3.5 |
| Nick Jr.* | 3.5 |
| PBS | 3.5 |
*Nick.com and Nickjr.com reach figures are for the WWW only and do not include AOL proprietary online users. Reach for these sites is higher when measured within the AOL/WWW combined audience.
Source: Media Metrix, Home Web Audience May 1998