A new research conducted by Kaspersky Lab has indicated that about 35 percent of Nigerian children were active in online activities, a figure that is higher than the rates in other African countries covered by the survey.
The just published research findings from the company’s Parental Control modules stats were taken from Kaspersky Lab’s flagship products that have the Parental Control module switched on, and from Kaspersky Safe Kids, a standalone service installed for kids’ online protection,
reflecting what children in the region watched, listened to, purchased and searched for online.
Specifically, the report indicated that anonymised statistics on websites visited from Windows PCs and Macs, and search activity on Windows PCs, Macs, Android and iOS devices that globally children were more likely to watch video content and listen to music, than spend time on social media.
However, for Nigerian children this is contrary as the report reflected that unlike what other children do online, 35 percent of Nigeria children were most active across internet communication media (referred to as social media/networks) in the region.
The most popular of these media with high percentage of Nigerian children’s presence are Facebook, Google Mail, Twitter, WhatsApp and Instagram, followed by video content and music at 29 percent. The research showed also that children spent more time on YouTube– in particular, showing an increased interest in Netflix and o2tvseries.com for movies and series
The company clarified further: “Children in the region also began to visit news sites more frequently, including sports.ndtv.com, accounting for 20 percent of activities. Electronic commerce was also among top four categories as well: seven percent of children showed their interest in exploring online stores for clothes and mobile devices. With regards to online stores, children in Nigeria visited Amazon the most.
“It should be noted that alongside computer games (just under one percent), similar statistics where noted for children in Nigeria who also searched for adult-content web-sites. However, if their parents had blocked such sites (for example with a Kaspersky Lab product), then the children’s attempts to visit these sites were unsuccessful.
Commenting on the research findings, General Manager for Kaspersky Lab Africa, Riaan Badenhorst, expatiated: “The statistics we have obtained indicate the interests of children and teens in the region today. This is why we recommend using parental control products not only to block potentially dangerous content, but also to help parents stay informed about their children’s interests and passions.
“Many software programs, including those from Kaspersky Lab, allow parents to see reports about their children’s online activities. Naturally, reports like this do not disclose any private information. In our opinion, the parents’ knowledge of what their children do online should promote better family relationships, helping to encourage open dialogue and preventing more serious threats to children in the region”, Badenhorst added.
The Kaspersky Total Security and Kaspersky Internet Security consumer solutions include a Parental Control module to help adults protect their children against online threats and block sites or apps containing inappropriate content.
In turn, the Kaspersky Safe Kids solution allows parents to monitor what their children do, see, or search for, online across all devices, including mobile devices, and offers useful advice on how to help children behave safely online.
