The dark side of the web has reared its ugly head, as new information reveals children are mostly trying to access pornographic sites during the school holidays.
During the 2018-19 Christmas holiday period, many children aged under 18 attempted to view inappropriate websites, according to data collected from users of Australia’s leading cyber safety group, Family Zone.
The data shows that children would have been exposed to pornography either deliberately or inadvertently –before being blocked - as they spent up to 28 hours a week online during the holiday period.
Most 15-18 year old children tried to access the site via YouTube, followed by Instagram, Snapchat and Netflix.
“Our data shows that our children are facing unprecedented dangers online, even if they are only viewing seemingly harmless content," Family Zone managing director Tim Levy said.
“Younger children aren’t generally searching for inappropriate material on the internet; their first exposure usually comes innocently, while they are watching or interacting with sites and apps that parents think are safe. That’s why parental controls are so important; they allow parents to manage their child’s screen time automatically.
“The majority of parental control products are confusing, expensive and too easy for kids to avoid, creating a complex problem for families and schools attempting to manage young people’s online behaviour."
