Ofcom publishes 20th annual Media Use and Attitudes research
Ofcom has published its latest annual ‘Media Use and Attitudes’ and ‘Media Lives’ reports, which shine a light on people’s online habits and behaviours across the UK.
Now in its 20th year, there is a focus on AI, social media, and digital safety as Ofcom prepares to implement strict new rules to protect children online.
Perhaps worrying for younger kids’ wellbeing, a third of 6 to 7-year-olds now have their own smartphone, and 37% of 3 to 5-year-olds are using social media in some form.
However, both parents and schools are taking steps to manage their online experiences.
Most children aged 8 to 17 say they are banned from using smartphones at all times at school.
AI is becoming more popular, though.
Half of the children use ChatGPT and other AI tools to learn and create work.
Other findings from the report show that older internet users are surprisingly better equipped to spot online scams and fake profiles than youngsters.
92% of those over 65 successfully navigated a mock-up email and didn’t provide personal details — a considerably higher figure than the 70% of 25 to 34-year-olds.
Regarding social media use, women log into social media apps more regularly than men and are more likely to make calls and send messages.
Finally, of the 6% of people who don’t have internet access at home, eight in ten say they aren’t interested in going online at all. However, around half of this group admit to asking friends and family to perform online tasks for them.