Teenagers can no longer tell the real world from the Internet

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Grand Master

Hum

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Teenagers can no longer differentiate between the online world and real life, according to a survey.

The research raises questions about whether schools are doing enough to educate children about the dangers that lurk online.

The survey -  commissioned by Google and Vodafone - further warns that children?s online behaviour changes significantly when they make the step up to secondary school.

A campaign, called ?Well Versed? has been launched to help teenagers share techniques for dealing with risks online.

The e-safety project, designed for secondary school pupils aged 13 to 15, was set up by campaigners who argue that online threats are still not being taken seriously enough.

According to its website, it aims to ?encourage young people to share their best advice for mastering life online, and share their learning?.

Cyberbullying is an increasing worry for parents, with an 87 per cent rise in victims calling Childline last year.

The charity saw 4,507 cases of online bullying between 2012 and 2013.

According to the NSPCC, 38 per cent of young people have been affected by cyber-bullying.

In 2011, researchers found children were often happier with their online lives than they are with reality.

The study for children?s charity Kidscape assessed the online activities of 2,300 11- to 18-year-olds from across the UK.

They found that 45 per cent said they were sometimes happier online than in their real lives. :huh:

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Grand Master

Nick H. Supervisor

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In 2011, researchers found children were often happier with their online lives than they are with reality.

They found that 45 per cent said they were sometimes happier online than in their real lives. :huh:

Understandable to a degree, I think. I have times where I realise that I would prefer to browse the Internet than go out with friends.

I don't understand how the survey conducted leads them to the result that teenagers cannot tell the difference between the Internet and the real world, though. I assume that they meant that teenagers don't recognise the dangers of the Internet compared to the dangers of the real world, which in my mind is a different result from the one the title offers.

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Guest

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I wouldn't be so sure. When I slap you in the face, I bet you'd be able to tell the difference between real life and playing Unreal Tournament. :laugh:

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greenwizard88

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Isn't the Internet part of the real world?   :huh:

I don't understand this. I am at work right now, where I'm making very real money using the internet. If I was a teen getting bullied online or on the playground, is there a difference? I don't see any distinction. I think the study authors need their heads examined.

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Grand Master

Nick H. Supervisor

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It baffles me how you can be bullied on the Internet -- turn it off, walk away.

Just to be clear, you're saying that if someone is being bullied the correct response is to remove the victim from the Internet? If someone is being bullied on the school playground, do you tell the victim not to go back to school, or do you address the bully? While I can appreciate that you were suggesting that it is easy to get away from online bullying by just going offline, it isn't the solution.
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Grand Master

LaP

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Wait... So Japanese Tentacle Porn isn't real?

:cry:

Hum, 

If only it were that simple, but it isn't. Going offline, doesn't stop the bullying, what is said online by one person, spreads to others, on and offline. 

 

Anyway usually someone that is bullied online is bullied by people he knows and are likely already bullying him in real life at school or work.

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Nick H. Supervisor

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^ You don't necessarily need to stay off the Internet, but you can easily click off areas that are trouble.

But again, you're asking the victim to make a sacrifice when they shouldn't have to.
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Slammers

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It baffles me how you can be bullied on the Internet -- turn it off, walk away.

 

Grow up dude, we are adults - we can turn it off, you think a teenage kid can "walk away" from being bullied on something like facebook, the lines between online and real life are non existent for alot of kids (hence article), and said bullying can easily carry into real life (but not before being seen/liked and shared by many).

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Grand Master

Shadrack

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What a funny language we have where something that is an obvious part of the 'Real World', such as the Internet, is deliberately removed from that superset.  The title itself implies more that teenagers are accepting the reality of the situation far better than the authors of the article.

 

In 2011, researchers found children were often happier with their online lives than they are with reality.

They found that 45 per cent said they were sometimes happier online than in their real lives.

 

This could have been rephrased to be a video game or some other kind of 'toy' that might be funner than playing with friends.

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Grand Master

+Majesticmerc MVC

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You know, after reading the OP, and then comparing it to the title, I couldn't find a link between the two. But when I clicked the source and found out it was the Daily Fail, I get it now.

 

What part of that article (other than the headline) infers that "Teenagers can no longer tell the real world from the internet"?

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Grand Master

DConnell Member

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What is this Real World I hear tales of .... ?

 

It's an old MTV show "reality" show. :laugh: 

 

Maybe it's on Netflix and you could check it out . . .

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Grand Master

Thomas the Tank Engine

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Hum, on 28 Apr 2014 - 07:53, said:

Teenagers can no longer differentiate between the online world and real life, according to a survey.

 

Then neither can adults after they leave their teens, see how stupid that sounds!

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Grand Master

chrisj1968

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this is a great article. I come from a generation way before there was an internet, smartphones and cell phones were those huge brick analog jobs at $30 a minute to use.

 

with all this automation, people have less skills to communicate with others in the real world. can't tell the difference from the realworld and online world? one needs to rethink their lives.

 

I understand why now that people have no communication skills, no one talks like we used to back in the 90's and before

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