The risks faced by adolescents on the Internet: minors as actors and victims of the dangers of the Internet

Abstract

The objective of this study is to diagnose the risks faced by Spanish adolescents on the Internet, and to determine the influence of such variables as age, sex, and ownership of the school attended by minors. The intensive use of the Internet among adolescents has increased concerns about the risks they face in the cyberspace. The study is based on a representative national survey applied to 2,077 adolescents. The survey explores the risks faced by minors on the cyberspace: inappropriate content, contact with strangers, loss of privacy, cyberbullying, problematic Internet use or Internet addiction, and the safety practices adopted by adolescents. As results, young people’s high confidence coexists with a high involuntary exposure to inappropriate online content (pornography, violence, promotion of alcohol and drugs consumption, and eating disorders), along with the normalisation of various forms of cyberbullying. The results confirm that there is a significant percentage of adolescents that admit spending excessive time on the Internet and being addicted to certain Internet services.