This survey among 194 Dutch children ages 8 to 13 who had home access to the Internet was designed to explore (a) children's motives for using the Internet, (b) their positive experiences with the Internet, and (c) their negative experiences with the Internet. Results showed that the most important motive for using the Internet was affinity with computers, followed by information and entertainment. Online social interaction and off-line social interaction were the least important motives. Children's spontaneous descriptions of their positive experiences with the Internet most frequently included playing or downloading computer games (17%), watching video clips and songs (13%), visiting kids entertainment sites (12%), and seeking information about animals (7%). As a negative experience, children most frequently reported a virus or computer crash (10%), violence (4%), and pornography (4%). The authors found several significant age and / or gender differences in children's motives for using the Internet and in their experiences with the Internet.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Acuff, D. S.
, & Reiher, R. H. (1997). What kids buy and why: The psychology of marketing to kids. New York: Free Press.
2.
Brown, J. D.
, & Cantor, J. (2000). An agenda for research on youth and the media. Journal of Adolescent Health, 27(2), 2-7.
3.
Buijzen, M.
, & Valkenburg, P. M. (2000). The impact of television advertising on children's Christmas wishes. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, 44, 456-469.
4.
Cantor, J.
(1998). Children's attraction to violent television programming. In J. H. Goldstein (Ed.), Why we watch: The attractions of violent entertainment (pp. 88-115). New York: Oxford University Press.
5.
Christopherson, E. R.
(1989). Injury control. American Psychologist, 44, 234-241.
6.
Condry, J.
(1989). The psychology of television. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
7.
Durkin, K.
(1997). Developmental social psychology: From infancy to old age. Malden, MA: Blackwell.
8.
Ferguson, D. A.
, & Perse, E. M. (2000). The World Wide Web as a functional alternative to television. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 44, 155-174.
9.
Funk, J.
(1993). Reevaluating the impact of video games. Clinical Pediatrics, 2, 86-89.
10.
Gilmour, H.
(1999). What girls want: The intersections of leisure and power in female computer game play. In M. Kinder (Ed.), Kids' media culture (pp. 263-292). London: Duke University Press.
11.
Gunter, B.
, McAleer, J., & Clifford, B. R. (1991). Children's view about television. Aldershot, UK: Avebury Academic Publishing Group.
12.
Heeter, C.
(1988). Gender differences in viewing styles. In C. Heeter & B. Greenberg (Eds.), Cableviewing. Norwood, NJ: Ablex.
13.
James, N. C.
, & McCain, T. A. (1982). Television games preschool children play: Patterns, themes and uses. Journal of Broadcasting, 26, 783-800.
14.
Klinger, E.
(1969). Development of imaginative behavior: Implications of play for a theory of fantasy. Psychological Bulletin, 4, 277-298.
15.
Kraut, R.
, Mukhopadhyay, T., Szczypula, J., Kiesler, S., & Scherlis, B. (1999). Information and communication: Alternative uses of the Internet in households. Information Systems Research, 10, 287-303.
16.
Kubey, R.
, & Larson, R. (1990). The use and experience of the new video media among children and young adolescents. Communication Research, 17, 107-130.
17.
Lindsley, L. L.
(1990). Gender roles: A sociological perspective. Englewood cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
18.
Livingstone, S.
, & Bovill, M. (1999). Young people, new media. Report of the research project children, young people, and the changing media environment. London: London School of Economics and Political Science.
19.
Maccoby, E. E.
(1990). Gender and relationships: A developmental account. American Psychologist, 45, 513-520.
20.
Magid, L. J. (1998). Child safety on the information highway. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children [Online]. Available: www.safekids.com/child_safety.htm
21.
McGhee, P. E.
(1979). Humor: Its origin and development. San Francisco: Freeman.
22.
Mielke, K. W.
(1983). Formative research on appeal and comprehension in 3-2-1 contact. In J. Bryant & D. Anderson (Eds.), Children's understanding of television: Research on attention and comprehension (pp. 241-263). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
23.
Montgomery, K.
(2000). Youth and digital media: A policy research agenda. Journal of Adolescent Health, 27(2s), 61-68.
24.
NOP Research Group. (2000a, June). 4 million kids now online [Online]. Available: http:/www.nop.co.uk/survey/internet/internet_item15.htm
25.
NOP Research Group. (2000b, July). Mobile phones: The teen's must have [Online]. Available: http:/www.nop.co.uk/survey/internet/internet_item18.htm
26.
Papacharissi, Z.
, & Rubin, A. M. (2000). Predictors of Internet use. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 44, 175-196.
27.
Peck, E. (1999). Gender differences in film-induced fear as a function of type of emotion measure and stimulus content: A meta-analysis and laboratory study. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Wisconsin, Madison.
28.
Perse, E. M.
, & Dunn, D. G. (1998). The utility of home computers and media use: Implications of multimedia and connectivity. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 42, 435-456.
29.
Roberts, D. F.
(2000). Media and youth: Access, exposure, and privatization. Journal of Adolescent Health, 27(2), 8-14.
30.
Roberts, D. F.
, Foehr, U. G., Rideout, V. J., & Brodie, M. (1999). Kids & media at the new millennium. Menlo Park, CA: Kaiser Family Foundation.
31.
Rosengren, K. E.
, & Windahl, S. (1989). Media matter: TV use in childhood and adolescence. Norwood, NJ: Ablex.
32.
Rubin, A. M.
(1977). Television usage, attitudes and viewing behaviors of children and adolescents. Journal of Broadcasting, 21, 355-369.
33.
Rubin, A. M.
(1983). Television uses and gratifications: The interactions of viewing patterns and motivations. Journal of Broadcasting, 27, 37-51.
34.
Shaffer, D. R.
(1996). Developmental psychology: Childhood and adolescence. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.
35.
Siegel, S.
, & Castellan, N. J., Jr. (1988). Nonparametric statistics for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
36.
Turow, J.
(1999). The Internet and the family: The view from parents, the view from the press. Philadelphia: Annenberg Public Policy Center.
37.
Turow, J.
, & Nir, L. (2000). The Internet and the family 2000: The view from parents, the view from kids. Philadelphia: Annenberg Public Policy Center.
38.
Valkenburg, P.
, & Cantor, J. (2000). Children's likes and dislikes in entertainment programs. In D. Zillmann & P. Vorderer (Eds.), Media entertainment: The psychology of its appeal (pp. 135-152). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
39.
Valkenburg, P. M.
, Cantor, J., & Peeters, A. (2000). Fright reactions to television: A child survey. Communication Research, 27, 82-99.
40.
Valkenburg, P. M.
, & Janssen, S. C. (1999). What do children value in entertainment programs? A cross-cultural investigation. Journal of Communication, 26, 3-21.
41.
van der Voort, T.H.A.
, Beentjes, J.W.J., Bovill, M., Gaskell, G., Koolstra, C. M., Livingstone, S., & Marseille, N. (1998). Young people's ownership and uses of new and old forms of media in Britain and the Netherlands. European Journal of Communication, 13, 457-478.
42.
Zuckerman, M.
(1979). Sensation seeking: Beyond the optimal level of arousal. New York: John Wiley.
