Minors are increasingly present on the web, often with their own channel, weaving relationships even with unknown users. This is the alarming fact that emerges from the data of the survey on our children's digital citizenship, artificial intelligence and cyber risk conducted by MOIGE - Movimento Italiano Genitori (Italian Parents Movement) in collaboration with the Piepoli Institute with the aim of investigating the relationship of minors with technology and social networks, and the degree of awareness they have in using these tools. The data survey conducted in 2023 involved 1,788 middle school (40 percent) and high school (60 percent) students, both males (49 percent) and females (51 percent). Although 88% of the minors surveyed say they have more friends in the real world, more than 1 in 3 (35%) accept friend or contact requests from unknown users (in 2022 it was 30%), and 20% admit to even meeting them in person. This is risky behavior that is definitely underestimated by minors. 81% admit that they have contacts in their smartphone address book of several people they have not met personally, but with whom they have shared their phone number. Of them, 14% are under the age of 15. The most striking finding is that 45% of respondents have experienced at least one form of bullying. In 34% of cases it was verbal violence (such as insults and name-calling), 26% psychological (negative gossip, exclusion from the group), for 6% physical (kicking, punching), 6% were cases of cyberbullying (shitstorming, sharing personal content).
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