Net Aware Report 2017: “Freedom to express myself safely”

The Net Aware Report 2017: “Freedom to express myself safely” provides a snapshot into young people’s online lives. It explores the opportunities they benefit from alongside the risks they face on a daily basis. Using data from our 2017 Net Aware research, this report seeks to amplify the voices of children and young people – exploring what they like about the online space, as well as highlighting the factors that prevent them from using it safely. Children and young people are experts in their own online experiences and this report allows us to learn from them and gain better insight into their digital reality. Based on what these young people have told us, we propose a series of recommendations for government, industry and parents to ensure the internet can be a place of fun, communication, self-expression and creativity, and not a place of unnecessary risk.
This research was conducted to feed into the NSPCC and O2’s Net Aware1 tool, a parent-facing guide on the most popular sites, apps and games used by young people. The Net Aware website (also available as an app) is updated on an annual basis and aims to provide users with real-life insight into parents’ and young people’s experiences on these platforms, as well as information on how to stay safe when using them.
In our 2017 research, we engaged 1,696 11–18 year olds in schools across the UK and through Childline’s engagement platforms, such as Facebook. Young people were asked to complete a survey that included general questions about their online behaviour and knowledge around online safety, as well as detailed reviews about specific platforms. The data collection ran from December 2016 to February 2017. We also consulted with 674 parents and carers through the research firm, YouGov. The data from parents is not used heavily in this report, as we have chosen to focus on young people’s experiences. For a full methodology, please see Appendix 1.