Earlier and earlier, children are confronted with computers and the Internet. The Association E-Enfance 3018 with the support of Google France asked Toluna-Harris Interactive to carry out a survey intended to better understand the way in which the initiation of children aged 6 to 10 is carried out. This research was conducted online from February 6 to 14, 2023 on a sample of 616 parents of children aged 6 to 10 and a sample of 432 children aged 6 to 10. Another study was also conducted, with 2 groups of parents of children aged 7 to 9 and 2 groups of children aged 7 to 9.

What do the results say? According to the researchers, the first uses of the Internet take place at 5 years and 10 months. And the use becomes autonomous a year later, at 6 years and 10 months. “Learning the Internet is now considered essential for this alpha generation (i.e. children born since 2010): 2/3 of parents and 3/4 of children in this segment of believe that learning the Internet before the age of 10 is important”, detail the results. Precisely, “if support precedes autonomy, nevertheless, nearly half of the parents questioned (46%, up to 57% within single-parent families) indicate that their child’s initiation to the Internet took place earlier than the age they had initially set, while the same proportion indicates that the age of initiation was indeed the one imagined (47%)”.

This survey reveals that the first activities experienced by children on the Internet concern watching videos (44%), creative applications (34%), listening to music (33%), consulting the school website or online homework (29%) and online games (28%).

If the usage is large, risk awareness relating to the Internet is also. “The exogenous risks (those that we will therefore not be able to control) constitute the main leaven of parental concern: exposure to inappropriate content to which the child can have access (78% worried, including 40% very worried) , the risk of harassment, the people to whom he could be exposed (74%) as well as fake news (72%)”.

Regarding Internet use, 21% of parents say that their children use the Internet in an isolated room. “If the child’s Internet connection is subject to 65% of cases with parental consent33% also affirm that their child connects freely, situations that are even more frequent, even in the majority within blended families”, reports the survey. Finally, it is frequently at the end of the day that the time spent on the Internet is takes place between returning from school (47% go online at this time) and dinner (55%).