FNL Report

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Research Findings March 2006 Cox Communications
Teen Internet Safety Survey in Partnership with
the National Center for Missing Exploited
Children (Fielded among Youth 13-17)
Contact Mallard Holliday Cox Communications Malla
rd.Holliday_at_cox.com 404.843.5981
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• Background and Research Objectives
• Methodology
• Sample Composition
• Interpreting the Data
• Executive Summary
• Detailed Findings
• Teen Online Behavior
• Teen Perceptions of Internet Safety
• Families Talking to Teens about Internet Safety
• Appendix
• Respondent Profiles

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Background
BACKGROUND RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

• As part of its commitment to youth, Cox
  Communications sought to better understand teen
  online behavior, perceptions of internet safety
  generally, and the role parents or guardians play
  in their childrens use of online media.
• Ultimately, Cox seeks to use this research to
  craft content advocating internet safety and
  parental involvement for an upcoming satellite
  media tour.
• To that end, Cox commissioned TRU to conduct a
  nationally representative online survey among
  1000 U.S. teenagers ages 13-17.
• For this research in March, 2006, TRU was
  specifically asked to
• Measure online teens tendency to exhibit
  potentially risky behavior via the internet as
  well as other forms of virtual communication
  (e.g. text, email, and IM messaging, etc.)
• Gauge youth perceptions about the safety or
  potential risk they associate with online
  activities such as maintaining an internet
  profile
• Assess current levels of parental involvement and
  parental knowledge about what teens do on the
  internet or in other virtual environments

Research Objectives
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• Background and Research Objectives
• Methodology
• Sample Composition
• Interpreting the Data
• Executive Summary
• Detailed Findings
• Teen Online Behavior
• Teen Perceptions of Internet Safety
• Families Talking to Teens about Internet Safety
• Appendix
• Respondent Profiles

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Sample Composition
METHODOLOGY

• Sample composition
• Youth ages 13-17 (n1,160) with online access
• Sample distribution
• Sample Weighting
• Sample size for boys and girls in each of the two
  age groupings (13-15, 16-17) is not fully aligned
  with census data, though the number of teens
  interviewed for this survey is sufficiently large
  to be projected to all U.S. teenagers. Therefore,
  data are weighted based on key demographic
  variablesin this case, age and genderto reflect
  the national population of teens 13-17.
• Interviews were conducted online in February and
  March, 2006 among a geographically representative
  sample.

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Interpreting the Data How to Read the Charts
METHODOLOGY

• Titles and Bullets
• Each page featuring a chart includes a title
  describing the information shown and a summary of
  key points found at right.
• The survey question that provides the basis for
  each chart is highlighted at the bottom of the
  report page.
• Sample Composition
• Base Sizes
• The number of respondents for each question is
  noted in the legend or in the chart title. All
  1,160 respondents answered most questions,
  however some questions were completed by only a
  subset who indicated theyd had prior internet
  experiences such as being contacted online by
  people they didnt know.
• Survey Response Scales
• Different response scales were used throughout
  this survey. For example
• Yes ? No
• Very Safe ? Very Unsafe (five-point scale)
• Extremely Concerned ? Not At All Concerned
  (five-point scale)
• Unless noted, Yes responses are shown (see
  sample graph at left) and indicate the percentage
  of teens involved with different types of online
  activities.
• The complete scale range is shown for all other
  types of question in all other graphs (e.g. Very
  Safe, Somewhat Safe, In the Middle, Somewhat
  Unsafe, Very Unsafe).
• Significance Testing
• Where appropriate, base sizes used for
  statistically testing differences between
  segments are noted in a graphs legend (in
  parentheses).
• Upper-case letters next to a number indicate that
  the value is significantly greater (at the 95
  confidence level) than the segment the letter
  represents.
• Lower-case letters indicate values that are
  directionally greaterthat is, significant at
  the 90 confidence level.

ONLINE BEHAVIORS INVOLVING PEOPLE TEENS DON'T KNOW
Question 5 Have you ever received personal
messages (email, IM, chat, or text messages-not
junk mail like spam or email blasts) from
someone you didnt know? Question 6 While
online, have you have been asked for personal
information by someone you never met? Question 8
Have you ever considered meeting with someone
whom you had only talked to online? Question 9
Have you ever actually met with someone whom you
had only talked to online?
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Interpreting the Data How to Read the Charts
(contd)
METHODOLOGY
Segments for Analysis

• In the pages that follow, the primary focus is on
  differences and similarities in perceptions and
  behaviors with respect to internet/virtual
  communication safety between
• Teens 13-15 and Teens 16-17
• Boys and Girls
• However, respondents were also further divided
  into groups for more in-depth analysis. These
  groups include
• Teens who have received personal online messages
  from someone they dont know
• Defined as youth who responded Yes to Question
  5
• Have you ever received personal messages (email,
  IM, chat, or text messagesnot junk mail like
  spam or email blasts) from someone you didnt
  know?
• Teens who have a profile on a networking site
• Defined as youth who indicated they had a profile
  on a networking site (like MySpace.com,
  Friendster.com, Xanga.com, etc.) in Question 3
• Which of the following do you have?
• Teens who think posting information on a
  networking site is safe vs. those who think it is
  unsafe
• Defined as youth who responded Very Safe,
  Somewhat Safe or Somewhat Unsafe, Very
  Unsafe to Question 10
• How safe or unsafe do you think it is for
  someone to have their personal information on a
  public blog or networking site (like MySpace,
  Friendster, Xanga, etc.)?
• Teens whose parents or guardians have discussed
  potential dangers of online sharing of personal
  information with them
• Defined as youth who responded Yes A Lot, Yes,
  A Little, or No to Question 12
• Have your parents or guardians talked to you
  about internet safety?

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• Background and Research Objectives
• Methodology
• Sample Composition
• Interpreting the Data
• Executive Summary
• Detailed Findings
• Teen Online Behavior
• Teen Perceptions of Internet Safety
• Families Talking to Teens about Internet Safety
• Appendix
• Respondent Profiles

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Teen Internet Usage and Attitudes about Safety
Present Potential Risks but also Opportunities
for Education and a Role for Watchful Parents and
Guardians
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Teen Online Behavior

• Teens have established significant presence on
  social networking web pages 61 of 13- to
  17-year-olds have a personal profile on a site
  such as MySpace, Friendster, or Xanga. Half have
  also posted pictures of themselves online.
• Older teens (16-17s) and girls especially use the
  internet for social interaction, meeting friends,
  and networking.
• However, many have also been exposed to the
  internets accompanying potential risks.
• 71 reported receiving messages online from
  someone they dont know.
• 45 have been asked for personal information by
  someone they dont know.
• 30 have considered meeting someone that theyve
  only talked to online
• 14 have actually met a person face-to-face they
  theyve only spoken to over the internet (9 of
  13-15s 22 of 16-17s).
• When teens receive messages online from someone
  they dont know, 40 reported that theyll
  usually reply and chat with that person.
• Only 18 said theyll tell an adult.
• One out of five teens report that it is safe
  (i.e. somewhat or very safe) to share
  personal information on a public blog or
  networking site.
• As well, 37 of 13- to 17-year-olds said they are
  not very concerned or not at all concerned
  about someone using information theyve posted
  online in ways they dont want.

Teen Perceptions of Internet Safety
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Families Talking to Teens about Internet Safety
Helps Reduce Some Youth Exposure to Potential
Threats and Encourages Safer Online Decisions
Among Teens
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Families Talking to Teens about Internet Safety

• One out of three 13- to- 17-year-olds reported
  that their parents or guardians know very
  little or nothing about what they do on the
  internet.
• 48 of 16-17s said their parents or guardians
  know very little or nothing
• Fully 22 of those surveyed reported their
  parents or guardians have never discussed
  internet safety with them.
• On the other hand, 36 of youthgirls and younger
  teens most notablysaid that their parents or
  guardians have talked to them a lot about
  online safety, and 70 said their parents or
  guardians have discussed the subject with them
  during the past year.
• Fewer teens whose families have talked to them a
  lot about online safety have an IM name or
  pictures of themselves on the internet, compared
  to kids whose families have not talked to them at
  all. More teens whove talked to parents or
  guardians also ignore messages from unfamiliar
  people, refuse to reply or chat, block unknown
  senders, and report these occurrences to trusted
  adults.

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• Background and Research Objectives
• Methodology
• Sample Composition
• Interpreting the Data
• Executive Summary
• Detailed Findings
• Teen Online Behavior
• Teen Perceptions of Internet Safety
• Families Talking to Teens about Internet Safety
• Appendix
• Respondent Profiles

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More older teens, especially girls, venture
online volunteering personal profile information
and pictures
DETAILED FINDINGS
TEENS ONLINE EXPERIENCE

• Nearly all youth 13-17 have a personal email
  address, and 84 have an instant message (IM)
  screen name they use for chatting with friends
  and family.
• About 61 of all those surveyed have an online
  profile that contains personal information. Half
  have posted pictures of themselves on the
  internet.
• All forms of online presence are greater among
  older teens (16-17s) significantly more have
  their own email address, IM name, cell phone or
  texting device, web profile, blog, and pictures
  of themselves posted online (10-25 point margin
  ahead of 13-15s).
• More girls than boys have profiles on networking
  sites such as MySpace, Friendster, or Xanga (66
  vs. 56) and have posted pictures of themselves
  online (54 vs. 46).
• Among 16- to 17-year-old girls, these percentages
  are even greater 80 have an internet profile
  and 71 have uploaded pictures.
• These findings are consistent with a variety of
  TRU research that shows more females than males
  utilize the internet for social interaction,
  meeting friends, networking, etc.
• More guys (49) than girls (17) have a game
  system that allows them to chat online with other
  players.

Question 3 Which of the following do you have?
Please mark all that apply.
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Messages from unknown senders common more girls
have been asked for personal info, and more guys
have actually met up with someone only known from
the net
DETAILED FINDINGS
ONLINE BEHAVIORS INVOLVING PEOPLE TEENS DON'T KNOW

• Most 13- to 17-year-olds have received messages
  online from someone they dont know (71).
• 79 of 16-17s have received communication from
  unknown parties via the internet.
• Roughly 45 of those surveyed said someone
  theyve never met has asked them for personal
  information online.
• This percentage is higher among girls (50) and
  older teens (52).
• Almost one-third (30) of teens have considered
  meeting a person that theyve only talked to
  online.
• About 14 of 13- to 17-year-olds have actually
  met someone face-to-face that theyd previously
  only communicated with via the internet.
• 22 of 16-17s have met a person from online vs.
  only 9 of 13-15s.
• 17 of boys have met someone from the internet in
  person vs. 11 of girls.

Question 5 Have you ever received personal
messages (email, IM, chat, or text messages-not
junk mail like spam or email blasts) from
someone you didnt know? Question 6 While
online, have you have been asked for personal
information by someone you never met? Question 8
Have you ever considered meeting with someone
whom you had only talked to online? Question 9
Have you ever actually met with someone whom you
had only talked to online?
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Having an online profile renders more teens open
to potential internet risks
DETAILED FINDINGS
ONLINE BEHAVIORS INVOLVING PEOPLE TEENS DON'T KNOW

• Compared to teens without internet profiles, more
  13- to- 17-year-olds who have profiles on a
  networking site such as MySpace, Friendster, and
  Xanga have
• received messages online from someone they dont
  know
• been asked for personal information from someone
  with whom theyre not familiar
• considered meeting people theyve only talked to
  online
• actually met someone theyve only talked to via
  the internet

Question 5 Have you ever received personal
messages (email, IM, chat, or text messages-not
junk mail like spam or email blasts) from
someone you didnt know? Question 6 While
online, have you have been asked for personal
information by someone you never met? Question 8
Have you ever considered meeting with someone
whom you had only talked to online? Question 9
Have you ever actually met with someone whom you
had only talked to online?
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Most teens respond for more information when
contacted by unfamiliar people online 40 then
usually continue to chat with those individuals
DETAILED FINDINGS
TEENS RESPONSES TO ONLINE MESSAGES FROM SOMEONE
THEY DONT KNOW (Among those who have received
messages online from someone they dont know
multiple answers permitted from respondents)

• Nearly half (47) of teens said they ignore
  online messages from people they dont know, and
  about 37 said they have blocked such people from
  sending more messages.
• However, fully 72 have responded to ask who
  someone is when receiving these messages online,
  indicating that teens internet behavior is not
  consistent.
• Another 40 said they usually reply and chat when
  people they dont know contact them.
• More guys (44) than girls (35) said they reply
  and chat with someone they dont know.
• More 16-17s (44) than 13-15s (36) said they
  respond and converse.
• Few older teens tell an adult when the receive a
  message from someone they do not know (6).
• Conversely, 27 of 13-15s tell an adult.
• Also, 21 of females vs. 14 of males said they
  usually mention these messages to an adult.
• Nearly one-third (32) of 13- to 17-year-olds
  said they usually dont tell anyone about online
  messages they receive from people they dont know.

Question 7 When someone whose name you dont
recognize contacts you online (email, IM, text,
or chat messages), do you usuallymultiple
responses permitted
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Teens friends (girls 16-17 and 13-15 in
particular) also drawn to answering online
messages from people they dont know and to
meeting friends on the internet
DETAILED FINDINGS
WHAT TEENS FRIENDS ARE DOING ONLINE

• Nearly two-thirds (64) of 13- to 17-year-olds
  said their friends have responded to online
  messages from people they didnt know. This
  percentage is higher again among girls, both
  16-17s and 13-15s.
• More than half (56) said they know friends who
  have been asked for personal information by
  someone theyve never met.
• Approximately 63 have peers who have developed
  friendships with people they first met online.
• About 40 know at least one friend who has met in
  person someone they first knew only on the
  internet.
• Again, more teen girls than teen guys and more
  older teens (16-17s) have friends whove talked
  to unfamiliar people online, been asked for
  personal information, become friends with someone
  online, and met people from the internet
  face-to-face.
• A majority (62) also know friends who have lied
  about their age over the internet.
• More older teen guys know friends who said they
  were a different age online, whereas similar
  percentages of girls 16-17 and girls 13-15 said
  they had friends whove lied about their age.
• About one-third of teens said they know friends
  who have found out someone online was really a
  different age or sex.

Responded to people they dont know Girls 13-15
67 Girls 16-17 69
Lied about age Guys 13-15 54 Guys 16-17
62 Girls 13-15 67 Girls 16-17 68
Question 4 Do you know any friends your age that
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• Background and Research Objectives
• Methodology
• Sample Composition
• Interpreting the Data
• Executive Summary
• Detailed Findings
• Teen Online Behavior
• Teen Perceptions of Internet Safety
• Families Talking to Teens about Internet Safety
• Appendix
• Respondent Profiles

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One out of five 13- to- 17-year-olds report
posting personal information online is safe
DETAILED FINDINGS
TEENS VIEWS ON SAFETY OF SHARING THEIR PERSONAL
INFORMATION ONLINE

• Nearly half (48) of teens 13-17 said that it is
  somewhat to very unsafe to share personal
  information online.
• 23 of 13-15s said that it is very unsafe to
  share personal information compared to only 12
  of 16-17s.
• Still, one out of five said it is somewhat or
  very safe to post personal information on a
  public blog or networking site.

Question 10 How safe or unsafe do you think it
is for someone to have their personal information
on a public blog or networking site (like
MySpace, Friendster, Xanga, etc.)?
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More than one-third of teens surveyed expressed
little concern about other people using their
personal information online in undesired ways
DETAILED FINDINGS
TEENS CONCERNS ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE USING THEIR
PERSONAL INFORMATION

• Teens echoed their general concern about internet
  safety and a majority of 13-17s (62) here
  expressed at least some concern about other
  people using their personal information in
  undesired ways.
• Also again, more girls and more young teens
  reported that they were extremely concerned,
  compared to guys and older teens.
• At the same time, 37 said they were not very
  concerned or not at all concerned.
• More 16-17s reported low concern (44 bottom-two
  box) compared to 13-15s (33).
• More boys than girls said they were fairly
  unconcerned (44 vs. 32 bottom-two box).

Question 14 How concerned, if at all, are you
that someone will use information about you
posted online in a way you dont want them to?
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• Background and Research Objectives
• Methodology
• Sample Composition
• Interpreting the Data
• Executive Summary
• Detailed Findings
• Teen Online Behavior
• Teen Perceptions of Internet Safety
• Families Talking to Teens about Internet Safety
• Appendix
• Respondent Profiles

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More younger teens, notably girls, report their
parents or guardians have knowledge about what
they do online, whereas half of older kids claim
free reign
DETAILED FINDINGS
HOW MUCH TEENS SAY THEIR FAMILIES KNOW ABOUT WHAT
THEY DO ONLINE

• Not surprising given some of their behaviors (of
  which their parents or guardians likely wouldnt
  approve), about half (48) of teens 16-17 said
  their parents or guardians know very little or
  nothing about what they do on the internet.
• 23 of 16-17s said their parents or guardians
  know a lot or know everything.
• By comparison, 50 of teens 13-15 said their
  parents or guardians know a lot or know
  everything about what they do online.
• 23 of 13-15s said their parents or guardians
  know very little or nothing.
• More girls than boys reported that their parents
  or guardians were knowledgeable about their
  teens internet activities.
• 15 of girls said their parents or guardians knew
  everything vs. 7 of boys.

Question 11 How much do your parents or
guardians know about where you go and what you do
on the internet?
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One out of five 13- to-17-year-olds said their
parents or guardians have never spoken to them
about internet safety
DETAILED FINDINGS
HAVE YOUR PARENTS OR GUARDIANS TALKED TO YOU
ABOUT INTERNET SAFETY?

• Roughly 30 of 13-17s said their parents or
  guardians have not spoken to them about the
  potential dangers of sharing personal information
  online in the past year.
• This percentage climbs higher especially among
  older teens (44).
• Fully 22 of those surveyed reported their
  parents or guardians have never discussed
  internet safety with them.
• On the other hand, 36 of teens surveyed reported
  that their parents or guardians have talked to
  them a lot about online safety and 70 said
  their parents or guardians have discussed it with
  them during the past year.
• More girls and younger teens said their parents
  or guardians have spoken to them a lot about
  this topic, and said that their parents or
  guardians have done so recently in the past 12
  months.

IN THE PAST YEAR, HAVE YOUR PARENTS OR GUARDIANS
TALKED TO YOU ABOUT POTENTIAL DANGERS OF SHARING
PERSONAL INFORMATION ONLINE?
Question 12 Have your parents or guardians
talked to you about internet safety? Question 13
In just the past year, have your parents or
guardians talked to you about the dangers of
sharing personal information with people on the
internet?
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Teen concerns about internet safety piqued by
conversations with families
DETAILED FINDINGS
TEENS VIEWS ON SAFETY OF SHARING THEIR PERSONAL
INFORMATION ONLINE

• Teen attitudes about the safety of sharing
  personal information online are correlated with
  familial involvement.
• Significantly more 13-17s who reported that they
  perceived the internet somewhat or very
  unsafe also said their parents or guardians had
  discussed online safety with them a lot.
• By the same token, more teens who said that
  sharing their personal was somewhat or very
  safe reported that their parents or guardians
  had never talked to them about internet safety.

Question 10 How safe or unsafe do you think it
is for someone to have their personal information
on a public blog or networking site (like
MySpace, Friendster, Xanga, etc.)?
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Talking about internet safety with parents or
guardians helps reduce some teen exposure to
potential online risks
DETAILED FINDINGS

• Approximately 68 of 13-17s who reported their
  parents or guardians have not spoken to them
  about internet safety said that they have a
  profile on a networking site.
• By comparison, 52 of those surveyed who said
  their parents or guardians talked to them a lot
  reported having a profile.
• Fewer teens whose parents or guardians have
  talked to them a lot about online safety have
  an IM name or pictures of themselves on the
  internet, compared to kids whose parents or
  guardians have not talked to them at all.

TEENS ONLINE EXPERIENCE
Question 3 Which of the following do you have?
Please mark all that apply.
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Conversations with parents or guardians about
internet safety lead to more teens blocking or
ignoring messages from people they dont know and
also reporting these occurrences to adults
DETAILED FINDINGS
TEENS RESPONSES TO ONLINE MESSAGES FROM SOMEONE
THEY DONT KNOW (Among those who have received
messages online from someone they dont know
multiple answers permitted from respondents)

• Though a majority of 13- to 17-year-olds respond
  to ask who someone is when they receive a message
  from an unfamiliar person over the internet, more
  teens who also ignore messages, refuse to reply
  or chat, and block unknown senders reported that
  their parents or guardians have talked to them a
  lot about internet safety.
• Additionally, more teens who tell a trusted adult
  when they receive a message from someone they
  dont know are also the same teens whove talked
  to their families a lot about sharing personal
  information online.

Question 7 When someone whose name you dont
recognize contacts you online (email, IM, text,
or chat messages), do you usuallymultiple
responses permitted
26

• Background and Research Objectives
• Methodology
• Sample Composition
• Interpreting the Data
• Executive Summary
• Detailed Findings
• Teen Online Behavior
• Teen Perceptions of Internet Safety
• Families Talking to Teens about Internet Safety
• Appendix
• Respondent Profiles

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Respondent Profiles Geographic Region
Urbanicity
APPENDIX
URBANICITY
GEOGRAPHIC REGION
Questions 15/16 What state do you live
in? Which of the following best describes where
you live?
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Respondent Profiles Ethnicity
APPENDIX
ETHNICITY
Question 17 Are you