Children’s Wellbeing in a Digital World

“The children who spend the least time using digital devices report significantly lower scores on almost all  dimensions (all negative dimensions and on the positive emotional and positive social dimensions) and children who spend the most time using digital devices report significantly higher scores on all negative dimensions.”

“Vulnerable children – identified in the sample as those who are registered as having a disability, having special education needs or who receive professional support for mental health issues – reported significantly higher negative impacts on social, emotional and developmental wellbeing than their less vulnerable peers.”

“Parental awareness of children’s online experiences overall is an indicator of how children score across the dimensions. Children whose answers differed most from their parents’ perceptions of their online experiences scored lower on all positive factors. The strength of this correlation suggests that parental awareness is a useful indicator for a range of in-home behaviours that might be enabling children to make the most of digital technology.”