The Digital World of Children and Teenagers
Digital Risks by Age and Developmental Stage
Digital risks at each age
An 8-year-old and a 15-year-old don't face the same risks online, nor do they have the same ability to identify them. Younger children are usually vulnerable to inappropriate content and to sharing information without understanding the consequences, while teenagers are more exposed to cyberbullying, social pressure and contact with strangers seeking to gain their trust. Adapting your support to each stage is key: with young children, direct supervision and technical controls work better, while with teenagers it's more effective to build their own judgment through dialogue, since excessive control at that age usually creates rejection and leads them to hide their online activity instead of sharing it.