Better Internet for Kids

The KIM study (Children, Internet, Media) has been carried out in Germany since 1999 to understand how children use media.  The 2022 edition found that children often use digital media alone and without supervision – especially digital games and the Internet. Two thirds of parents also did not use any technical options for youth media protection such as filters or security settings. The survey found that a total of 70 percent of children use the Internet, with the proportion of young online users increasing significantly with age (6-7 years: 38%, 8-9 years: 59%, 10-11 years: 85%, 12-13 years: 99%). More than half of children reported having their own smartphone. Communicating with friends and family via the WhatsApp messaging service and watching films and videos were found to be an important part of internet usage. The KIM study is carried out by the Media Education Research Association Southwest (mpfs), a cooperation between the State Office for Communication Baden-Württemberg (LFK) and the Media Authority Rhineland-Palatinate, in collaboration with Südwestrundfunk (SWR). 
(Source: Report)

The KIM study is a biennial investigation of the media use of a nationally representative sample of six- to 13-year-olds in Germany. A total of 1,219 children were surveyed across Germany between September 2 and October 21, 2022, using computer-assisted personal-oral interviews (CAPI) on-site in the households. The primary caregiver also completed a self-administered questionnaire (paper & pencil) about their own and their family's media usage behaviour and attitudes toward media topics. 

Germany

Feierabend, S., Rathgeb, T., Kheredmand, H., & Glöckler, S. (2023). KIM-Studie 2022: Basisuntersuchung zum Medienumgang 6- bis 13-Jähriger. Medienpädagogischer Forschungsverbund Südwest. https://www.mpfs.de/studien/kim-studie/2022/