Have the lives of Russian children fallen into the trap of the Internet?

When we talk about modern childhood, first of all, smartphones, tablets and various gadgets come to mind. This is confirmed by the results of a large-scale study conducted by MTS on the occasion of Children's Day. According to it, it turned out that children aged 4 to 14 in Russia have a significantly higher rate of Internet use.

According to experts, today's child gets his first electronic device on average at the age of 5, and his first gadget with a SIM card at about 6-8 years old. These high figures indicate that the importance of digital tools in the socialization process and daily life of children is increasing.

If we look at Internet activity by age group, analysts believe that children aged 11-14 are most addicted to the Internet. 39% of children of this age spend 6-8 hours a day on the Internet. Next in line is almost half of children in the 7-10 age group, or 41 percent, who spend 3-5 hours a day online. The youngest age group, 43 percent of children aged 4-6, use the Internet for no more than two hours a day.

Children's interests in the online environment were also analyzed. Most users of this age group communicate in messengers (74%), are active on social networks (71%), participate in various mobile games (70%), and watch entertaining videos on video services (66%).

The study also provided information on what measures parents take regarding their children's use of the Internet. It turned out that 79 percent of parents limit themselves to explanatory conversations with their children about the potential dangers of the Internet. 59% of respondents prefer to set limits on their children's screen time, while 38% regularly check browser history and device activity.

At the same time, another important aspect related to children's phone activity has been identified. According to the MTS report, each child calls unknown numbers on average 17 times a month. This situation increases the need for special technical tools for children's safety in the online environment. As a solution to this problem, MTS offers the "Protector" service, the "Membrane Kids" mobile application and the "Family Group" function in the "My MTS" application. With the help of these tools, parents can protect their children from online fraud and other negative influences.

Currently, all users who have connected these services as a trial before June 6 will have the opportunity to use these tools for free for 30 days. This is a good opportunity for parents, creating favorable conditions for providing their children with a safe Internet environment.

A total of 2,000 respondents participated in the MTS study, who are parents of children living in cities with a population of more than 100,000 people. The company also conducted an analysis based on anonymized data of its subscribers.

As experts emphasize, it has become a natural process for modern children to live in close contact with the digital world. However, the safety of children in this digital environment and the prevention of their Internet addiction are becoming an important issue that requires constant attention from parents. Therefore, starting today, parents should use effective methods to monitor their children's lives in the digital world and protect them from dangers. In this way, they will contribute to the growth of their children in a healthy digital environment.