The percentage of children and adolescents seeking information about brands or products on the Internet is increasing

Updated on: 12/01/2017. For more details, consult the correction note.

Survey by Cetic.br also reveals that 42% of young Internet users were exposed to advertising deemed inappropriate for their age, according to their parents or guardians

In 2016, 48% of Internet users aged 11 to 17 searched for information about brands or products on the Internet, an increase of 19 percentage points compared to 2013, when this proportion was 29%. This is highlighted by the fifth edition of the TIC Kids Online Brasil survey conducted by the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br), carried out by the Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society (Cetic.br), of the Brazilian Network Information Center (NIC.br).

According to the study, although television remains the primary medium for advertising exposure (80%), there has been an increase in the percentage of Internet users aged 11 to 17 exposed to marketing content on video sites: 69%. In 2013, this percentage was 48%. Additionally, 62% were exposed to ads or publicity on social networks.

The survey also revealed that 42% encountered advertising deemed inappropriate for their age, according to their parents or guardians. "While children and adolescents are becoming more connected, they are also increasingly exposed to marketing content on the Internet. This is a challenge that needs to be addressed by parents, educators, and policymakers, especially considering the complexity of recognizing the commercial nature of advertising on the Internet for children," highlights Alexandre Barbosa, manager of Cetic.br.

Connectivity and usage dynamics

In its fifth edition, the TIC Kids Online Brasil survey estimates that approximately eight out of ten children and adolescents (82%) aged 9 to 17 are Internet users, representing 24.3 million children and adolescents across the country. The results highlight significant regional and socioeconomic disparities in network access and usage. While in urban areas, 83% of children and adolescents were connected, in rural areas, this proportion was 65%. In the Southeast region, 91% of children and adolescents declared themselves as Internet users; in the North, only 69%. Another relevant factor is socioeconomic status: there are 5.9 million (98%) users in classes A and B, 11.1 million in class C, and 7.4 million (66%) in classes D and E.

The results confirm the trend of increasing use of mobile devices by children and adolescents to access the Internet — in 2016, 91% (22 million) accessed the Internet via mobile phones. In 2012, this proportion was 21%, and in 2014, 82%. In contrast, network use via computers declined. For all devices except mobile phones, there is a stark difference between classes in Internet access. "While children from classes A and B have access to a variety of devices, others have a more restricted access ecosystem," notes Barbosa.

The survey also estimates that 37% of child and adolescent Internet users accessed the network exclusively through mobile phones — equivalent to 8.9 million children. This is the primary means of Internet access for users in rural areas (54%), in the North region (52%), and in classes D and E (61%).

Sensitive content on the internet

In 2016, the survey estimates that 41% of Internet users aged 9 to 17 (10 million children) stated they had seen someone subjected to discrimination online — a stable result compared to 2015. Exposure to aggressive content online is higher among girls (45%) and adolescents aged 15 to 17 (53%). The main identified grounds for discrimination include: color or race (24%), physical appearance (16%), and same-sex relationships (13%). A smaller portion (7%) reported feeling personally discriminated against online — representing 1.7 million child and adolescent Internet users.

The survey also revealed that Internet users aged 11 to 17 are exposed to other types of sensitive content online, such as topics related to “ways to become very thin” (27% among girls and 9% among boys) and “ways to self-harm” (17% among girls and 12% among boys).

Safe Internet use

In 2016, about 7 out of 10 (69%) child and adolescent Internet users used the network safely, according to their parents or guardians. The perception of online safety was higher among children whose parents have a high level of education (75% with a high school diploma or more) and those from classes A and B (79%).

Traditional media like television, radio, newspapers, or magazines stand out as sources for seeking information about safe Internet use, according to parents (54%), followed by family and friends (52%), and via the child or adolescent themselves (51%). Mentions of schools (35%) or the government and local authorities (26%) are lower. "This result reveals the need for broader dissemination and expansion of the debate on opportunities and risks associated with Internet use through public policy initiatives," emphasizes Barbosa.

About the survey

In its fifth edition, the TIC Kids Online Brasil survey interviewed 2,999 children and adolescents aged 9 to 17, as well as their parents or guardians, nationwide. The interviews took place between November 2016 and June 2017, with the aim of understanding how this audience uses the Internet and manages the risks and opportunities associated with such use. TIC Kids Online Brasil aligns with the methodological framework of the European network EU Kids Online, led by the London School of Economics.

This year, uniquely, Cetic.br provides complete tables of proportions, totals, and respective margins of error for download. Access the full survey, review the historical series, and download the tables: https://cetic.br/pesquisa/kids-online/indicadores. Compare the evolution of the indicators through data visualization available at: https://data.cetic.br/cetic/explore?idPesquisa=TIC_KIDS.

About Cetic.br

The Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society of NIC.br is responsible for producing indicators and statistics on the availability and use of the Internet in Brazil, regularly releasing analyses and information on network development in the country. Cetic.br is a Regional Center for Studies under the auspices of UNESCO. More information at https://www.cetic.br/.

About the Brazilian Network Information Center – NIC.br

The Brazilian Network Information Center — NIC.br (https://www.nic.br/) is a private, non-profit civil entity, which, in addition to implementing the decisions and projects of the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee, has among its responsibilities: coordinating domain name registration — Registro.br (https://www.registro.br/), studying, responding to, and addressing security incidents in Brazil — CERT.br (https://www.cert.br/), studying and researching network technologies and operations — Ceptro.br (https://www.ceptro.br/), producing indicators on information and communication technologies — Cetic.br (https://www.cetic.br/), fostering and promoting the evolution of the Web in Brazil — Ceweb.br (https://www.ceweb.br/) and hosting the W3C office in Brazil (https://www.w3c.br/).

About the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee – CGI.br

The Brazilian Internet Steering Committee is responsible for establishing strategic guidelines related to the use and development of the Internet in Brazil, coordinating and integrating all Internet service initiatives in the country, promoting technical quality, innovation, and the dissemination of available services. Based on the principles of multistakeholderism and transparency, CGI.br represents a democratic Internet governance model, praised internationally, in which all sectors of society equally participate in its decisions. One of its formulations is the 10 Principles for the Governance and Use of the Internet (https://www.cgi.br/principios). More information at https://www.cgi.br/.

Contacts for the Press:

Weber Shandwick
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PABX: (11) 3027-0200 / 3531-4950
Carolina Carvalho – ccarvalho@webershandwick.com - (11) 3027-0226

Communication Advisory - NIC.br
Caroline D’Avo – Communication Manager – caroline@nic.br
Everton Teles Rodrigues – Communication Coordinator – everton@nic.br
Soraia Marino – Communication Assistant – soraia@nic.br

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