An Analysis of What Kids Should Know About Cyberspace Ages and Stages
Busy with social lives and activities, nine- and ten-year-olds:
- continue to develop the capacity for logical thinking and planning
- use creative problem-solving skills
- develop and apply vocabulary, verbal reasoning and analytical skills
- begin to exhibit distinct preferences and talents, as well as specific difficulties, such as learning disabilities
- feel increasing social pressure to conform or to be "cool"
- are likely to interact with older children, leading to possible exposure to adult sexual material
- are developing moral self- and gender- identity
9- and 10-Year-Olds and Media
Watching television (one to three hours a day) and playing video games are the most popular media activities for this age group. Children at this age:
- are curious, seeking new information
- don’t question technology
- see computers and the Internet as “cool”
- begin multi-tasking
- accept media content, entertainment and games uncritically
- believe media portrayals are real if they appear possible in real life
- may be influenced by media images and personalities – especially those that appear "cool" or desirable
- balance media consumption with other activities, such as playing with friends and taking part in sports
- may be frightened by realistic portrayals of violence, threats or danger
Internet Snapshot
A 2001 Media Awareness Network survey provides a snapshot of how children in this age group use the Internet.
- In addition to television and video games, the Internet is a popular medium for children ages 9-10.
- Playing and downloading games and surfing for fun are favourite online pastimes.
- Half of nine- and ten-year-olds use e-mail, mainly to correspond with friends and family.
- One-third of children in this age group use chat rooms. Seven per cent go into adult chat rooms or talk with individuals in private chat areas.
(Source: Young Canadians In A Wired World Survey, Media Awareness Network, 2001)
Educational Resources Online Online resources that can stimulate social and intellectual development in this age group include:
- games and quizzes that develop critical-thinking skills
- games and activities that develop academic skills, such as math and spelling
- games that promote personal creativity and fun
- free material posted by experts
- age-appropriate reading sites
- guided virtual tours (for example, of the Parliament Buildings)
- Web sites where children can post and share drawings, poems and stories
- information about favourite topics and hobbies children's sections on many institutional sites (such as CBC, PBS, NASA)
- e-mail exchange programs
- tools such as dictionaries, encyclopedias and thesauruses
- virtual art galleries, museums and science centres
Online Issues
Although parental supervision of 9- and 10-year-olds online ranges from strict to lax, the majority are still supervised to a fair extent while surfing the Net. Online issues that should be addressed for this age group include:
- existence of "cool" environments and content on commercial Web sites that are manufactured by marketers
- aggressive and manipulative collection of children’s and parents’ personal information by marketers
- heavy use of interactive games by children – especially boys
- use of interactive games as marketing tools
- existence of online identities that may be false
- vulnerability of unsupervised children to online predators or harassers
- easy access to adult Web sites through hyperlinks
- exposure to search results containing inappropriate Web sites
- aggressive promotion of adult content on the Internet
Educational Response: Teaching Critical-Thinking Skills
As their online explorations increase, 9- and 10-year-olds need guidance about Internet safety and protection of privacy. They also need to begin thinking about good citizenship and responsible Internet use. Parents should review:
- open networks and related privacy implications
- basic online safety skills
- the differences between virtual acquaintances and real-life friends
- child-friendly search tools
- methods for comparing, contrasting and measuring quality of information from different Web sources (looking at source, content and intent, and comparing information with that in offline resources)
- strategies used by online marketers
- elements of Web design
- copyright issues
- children’s rights and responsibilities as members of the Internet community (see Childnet International’s Children’s Bill of Rights for the Internet)
This is the time to introduce:
- strategies for conducting effective, self-directed online research
- issues connected with file-sharing (such as copyright infringement, viruses and hacking)
- the concept of anonymity as it relates to Web resources and online acquaintances
- responsibility and citizenship on the Internet
- acceptable Internet use in the classroom
- strategies for determining the authorship and
- authority of online information
- passive (text-based files called “cookies” that lodge themselves in your hard drive when you visit a site) and aggressive (direct requests for personal information) methods of online data collection
- strategies to minimize exposure to adult Web sites
Some MNet resources for getting started:
Additional information used with permission from: Lefebvre, A., and Hillis, B. (1999). Taking Your Kids Online. McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd.: Toronto.
Bibby, R. (2001). Canada's Teens: Today, Yesterday, and Tomorrow. Stoddard Publishing Co.: Toronto.
Josephson W. (1995.) Television Violence: A Review of the Effects on Children of Different Ages. Report prepared for the Department of Canadian Heritage.
