Tech News – Biggest concerns about the Internet – harmful content and the impact on our tamariki

New research released by InternetNZ shows a staggering number of people in Aotearoa are concerned about young children accessing inappropriate content and also cyber bullying.

A whopping 74% of New Zealanders surveyed said they are either extremely or very concerned about young children accessing inappropriate content. This is the top-rated concern people have about the Internet.

Some groups in Aotearoa are showing even more concern about these issues. 81% of women are either extremely or very concerned about young children accessing inappropriate content and the number shoots up again to 92% for Pacific Peoples.

InternetNZ Chief Executive, Vivien Maidaborn, says this research highlights the deep concern that adults in Aotearoa have about the Internet – especially when it comes to what our tamariki are consuming or having to deal with.

Cyber bullying is another top-rated concern, with 67% of New Zealanders saying they are either extremely or very concerned about it. 74% of women are concerned and this rises to 81% for Pacific Peoples.

“These stats highlight the need for law changes. Right now, our laws and processes are not adequate for the online world and are not helping to keep people safe from online harm.

We need the government’s review of the content regulatory system to find a new approach that minimises the harms online caused by content and abuse,” says Maidaborn.

Netsafe has created an online safety parent toolkit to get parents and whānau talking about online safety. You can find this, and more digital parenting advice on the Netsafe website at netsafe.org.nz.

• Pacific Peoples are much more concerned than others about some aspects of the Internet. Compared to the average for everyone in Aotearoa:
• • 63% of Pacific Peoples are concerned that people from low socio economic backgrounds may have limited access (vs NZ average of 37%)
  • 59% of Pacific Peoples are concerned about the cost of the Internet (vs NZ average of 34%)
  • 71% of Pacific Peoples are concerned about people becoming socially or physically isolated from each other (vs NZ average of 49%)
  • 84% of Pacific Peoples are concerned about the Internet being used to share dangerous or discriminatory messages about individuals, groups, or communities (vs NZ average of 63%)
• Women are much more concerned than men about some aspects of the Internet:
• • 81% of women are concerned about young children accessing inappropriate content (vs 66% of men)
  • 74% of women are concerned about cyber bullying (vs 59% of men)
  • 66% of women are concerned about the Internet being a forum for extremist material and hate speech (vs 52% of men)
  • 70% of women are concerned about the Internet being used to share dangerous or discriminatory messages about individuals, groups, or communities (vs 57% of men)
• 53% of people, who do work that allows them to work from home, would consider moving somewhere else in Aotearoa if they could re-locate their current job (up from 45% last year).
• • Of those who would consider relocating; the most common reasons are better lifestyle (57%), more affordable lifestyle (54%) and more affordable housing (50%).
• Facebook and Meta-owned platforms have complete domination here in Aotearoa. Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and Whatsapp are all in the top five communications channels New Zealanders are using.
• Our research shows that 16% of Internet users have a long-term disability, with many using assistive technology.
• Top concerns (either extremely or very concerned): Young children accessing inappropriate content (74%), security of personal data (68%), online crime (68%), cyber bullying (67%), threats to privacy (65%)
• Although the majority of people continue to think that the positives of the Internet outweigh the negatives, this is on a downward trend. In 2020, 87% said ‘yes’ the positives of the Internet outweighed the negatives. In 2021 this was 86% and in 2022 84%.

Each year InternetNZ commissions market research company Colmar Brunton to survey New Zealanders about their use, benefits, concerns, and fears regarding the Internet. InternetNZ will continue to commission this research each year to demonstrate what people think today, and how their thinking changes over time.

InternetNZ is a non-profit organisation, and the home and guardian of .nz – providing the infrastructure, security and support to keep it humming. It uses the funding from the sale of .nz domain names to support the development of New Zealand’s Internet through policy, community grants, research and events. Its vision is an Internet that is open, secure, and for all New Zealanders.