
Share this content on



internet matters logo
internet matters logo
MENU
Please enter your keyword
  • About us
    • Our Team
    • Expert Advisory Panel
    • Our partners
    • Become a partner
    • Contact us
    • Careers
  • Inclusive Digital Safety
    • Advice for parents and carers
    • Advice for professionals
    • Research
    • Resources
    • Connecting Safely Online
    • Fostering Digital Skills
    • UKCIS Vulnerable Users Working Group
  • Online Issues
    • Online hate
    • Sexting
    • Online grooming
    • Fake news and misinformation
    • Screen time
    • Inappropriate content
    • Cyberbullying
    • Online reputation
    • Online Pornography
    • Self-harm
    • Radicalisation
    • Privacy and identity theft
    • Report issue
  • Advice by Age
    • Pre-school (0-5)
    • Young Children (6-10)
    • Pre-teen (11-13)
    • Teens ( 14+)
  • Setting Controls
    • Social media privacy guides
    • Gaming platforms and devices
    • Smartphones and other devices
    • Broadband & mobile networks
    • Entertainment & search engines
    • Get kids tech set up safe
  • Guides & Resources
    • My Family’s Digital Toolkit
    • Online gaming advice hub
    • Social media advice hub
    • Press Start for PlayStation Safety
    • Guide to apps
    • Digital resilience toolkit
    • Online money management guide
    • The dangers of digital piracy
    • Guide to buying tech
    • UKCIS Digital Passport
    • Set up safe device checklist
    • Online safety leaflets & resources
  • News & Opinion
    • Articles
    • Research
      • Digital wellbeing research programme
    • Parent Stories
    • Expert opinion
    • Press releases
    • Our expert panel
  • Schools resources
    • Digital Matters online learning platform
    • Back to school guides
    • Early years
    • Primary school
    • Secondary school
    • Connect school to home
    • Professional guidance
You are here:
  • Home
  • Resources
  • Children’s Wellbeing in a Digital World — Index Report 2023

Children’s Wellbeing in a Digital World

Index Report 2023

The Children’s Wellbeing in a Digital World: Index Report 2023 is the continuation of our research into the impacts of the online world on children and young people.

As we continue to track wellbeing, we’re able to spot trends and changes to help support parents and their children online.

 

Download full report Share

Text reads 'Children's Wellbeing in a Digital World, Year Two, Index Report 2023.' The Internet Matters and Revealing Reality logos sit underneath. On the right is an image of 5 children on smartphones.

1 like

You are in: Index Report 2023
  • Index Report 2023
  • Digital Wellbeing Research
  • Index Report 2022
  • Wellbeing in a Digital World
  • Digital parenting report

Index Report 2023: Children's Wellbeing in a Digital World

Key Findings

The positive effects of being online have reduced for children

“Compared with wave 1, children are experiencing fewer of the positive effects of digital on most areas of their wellbeing. These declines are statistically significant for developmental and social wellbeing.

“While they reported experiencing slightly more of the positives on their physical wellbeing, children are also experiencing far more of the negative impacts relative to last year.

“The Index also highlights that children are experiencing less of the negative impacts on their emotional wellbeing compared with last year.”

Active users are exposed to more negative experiences

“Across the sample, the more time children reported spending online and on social media, the greater the number of these experiences they reported having. Of the children who spend the least time on social media, only 2% reported experiencing five or more of the online harm types, rising to 22% of the quartile of children spending the most time online.”

Vulnerability shapes children's digital wellbeing

“The first wave of the Index reported that children with SEND, physical disabilities or challenges with their mental health experienced more of the negative impacts of digital technology on their wellbeing. This trend continues this year, and these children are also more likely to have had potentially harmful experiences online, including seeing something they think isn’t true, experiencing bullying or receiving unwanted sexual attention from a stranger. Compared with the 9-15-year-olds sample, vulnerable children who have had these experiences are more likely to report that these experiences have a severe negative effect on them.”

The family dynamic is a critical factor

“Children whose index scores aligned with their parents’ experienced notably more of the positive impacts of digital technology, with statistically significant differences seen in each dimension of wellbeing. This is especially true for using the internet to learn new sport skills, using apps to help them stay healthy, meeting people online who become good friends, finding people online they admire and look up to, feeling more comfortable with being themselves due to being online, and enabling them to find new hobbies.”

Was this useful?
Yes No
Tell us why

More to explore

See related advice and practical tips to support children online.

  • Advice for 0-5 years
  • Advice for 11-13 years
  • Advice for 14+ year olds
  • Advice for 6-10 years
  • Screen time resources
  • Support wellbeing with tech

On site links

  • Digital wellbeing research programme
  • Supporting 9-10-year-old girls’ digital wellbeing
  • Online issues
  • Cyberbullying
  • Inappropriate content
  • Sexting
  • Self-harm
  • Screen time
  • Radicalisation
  • Online grooming
  • Online pornography
  • Online reputation
  • Privacy and identity theft
  • Advice by age
  • Pre-school (0-5)
  • Young children (6-10)
  • Pre-teen (11-13)
  • Teens ( 14+)
  • Setting controls
  • Smartphones and other devices
  • Broadband & mobile networks
  • Gaming platform & other devices
  • Social media privacy guides
  • Entertainment & search engines
  • Connecting Safely Online
  • Resources
  • My Family’s Digital Toolkit
  • Online gaming advice hub
  • The dangers of digital piracy
  • Digital resilience toolkit
  • Social media advice hub
  • Guide to apps
  • Accessibility on Internet Matters
  • Digital Matters
  • Schools resources
  • Early years resources
  • Primary school resources
  • Secondary school resources
  • Parent pack for teachers
  • News & opinion
  • Our expert panel
  • #StaySafeStayHome support for families
Follow us

Want to read in other language?
en English
zh-CN Chinese (Simplified)nl Dutchen Englishfr Frenchde Germanhi Hindiit Italianpl Polishpt Portugueseru Russianes Spanishcy Welsh
Need to address an issue fast?
Report issue
Subscribe to our newsletter
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Privacy Policy
gray logo
Copyright 2023 internetmatters.org™ All rights reserved.
Scroll Up

Download Workbook

  • To receive personalised online safety guidance in the future, we’d like to ask for your name and email. Simply fill your details below. You can choose to skip, if you prefer.
  • Skip and download