Use of the internet by young adolescents aged 11 to 13 : a quantitative study

Abstract

This study aims to enhance knowledge of experiences and practices of young adolescents regarding use of the internet. However, the main question which will be investigated and analysed is what young adolescents look for when surfing the net. To investigate the research question, a quantitative study was carried out by the researcher. A sample of 190 adolescents attending an independent secondary school in forms 1, 2 and 3 and coming from diverse backgrounds, were asked to fill in the questionnaire. The participants investigated used the internet for different purposes, depending on their gender. Significant differences were found between the gender and age of the participant on their perception of online risks such as cyberbullying, sexting and meeting with new people over the internet.