Accessibility Statement Skip Navigation
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists
  • +44 (0)20 7454 5110
  • Client Login
  • Send a Release
Return to PR Newswire homepage
  • News
  • Products
  • Contact
When typing in this field, a list of search results will appear and be automatically updated as you type.

Searching for your content...

No results found. Please change your search terms and try again.
  • News in Focus
      • Browse News Releases

      • All Public Company News
      • All Multimedia News
      • View All News Releases

      • Regulatory News

      • D/A/CH Regulatory News
      • UK Regulatory News
      • View All Regulatory News

  • Business & Money
      • Auto & Transportation

      • Aerospace & Defense
      • Air Freight
      • Airlines & Aviation
      • Automotive
      • Maritime & Shipbuilding
      • Railroads & Intermodal Transportation
      • Supply Chain/Logistics
      • Transportation, Trucking & Railroad
      • Travel
      • Trucking & Road Transportation
      • View All Auto & Transportation

      • Business Technology

      • Blockchain
      • Broadcast Tech
      • Computer & Electronics
      • Computer Hardware
      • Computer Software
      • Data Analytics
      • Electronic Commerce
      • Electronic Components
      • Electronic Design Automation
      • Financial Technology
      • High Tech Security
      • Internet Technology
      • Nanotechnology
      • Networks
      • Peripherals
      • Semiconductors
      • View All Business Technology

      • Entertain­ment & Media

      • Advertising
      • Art
      • Books
      • Entertainment
      • Film & Motion Picture
      • Magazines
      • Music
      • Publishing & Information Services
      • Radio & Podcast
      • Television
      • View All Entertain­ment & Media

      • Financial Services & Investing

      • Accounting News & Issues
      • Acquisitions, Mergers & Takeovers
      • Banking & Financial Services
      • Bankruptcy
      • Bond & Stock Ratings
      • Conference Call Announcements
      • Contracts
      • Cryptocurrency
      • Dividends
      • Earnings
      • Earnings Forecasts & Projections
      • Financing Agreements
      • Insurance
      • Investments Opinions
      • Joint Ventures
      • Mutual Funds
      • Private Placement
      • Real Estate
      • Restructuring & Recapitalisation
      • Sales Reports
      • Shareholder Activism
      • Shareholder Meetings
      • Stock Offering
      • Stock Split
      • Venture Capital
      • View All Financial Services & Investing

      • General Business

      • Awards
      • Commercial Real Estate
      • Corporate Expansion
      • Earnings
      • Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
      • Human Resource & Workforce Management
      • Licensing
      • New Products & Services
      • Obituaries
      • Outsourcing Businesses
      • Overseas Real Estate (non-US)
      • Personnel Announcements
      • Real Estate Transactions
      • Residential Real Estate
      • Small Business Services
      • Socially Responsible Investing
      • Surveys, Polls & Research
      • Trade Show News
      • View All General Business

  • Science & Tech
      • Consumer Technology

      • Artificial Intelligence
      • Blockchain
      • Cloud Computing/Internet of Things
      • Computer Electronics
      • Computer Hardware
      • Computer Software
      • Consumer Electronics
      • Cryptocurrency
      • Data Analytics
      • Electronic Commerce
      • Electronic Gaming
      • Financial Technology
      • Mobile Entertainment
      • Multimedia & Internet
      • Peripherals
      • Social Media
      • STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Math)
      • Supply Chain/Logistics
      • Wireless Communications
      • View All Consumer Technology

      • Energy & Natural Resources

      • Alternative Energies
      • Chemical
      • Electrical Utilities
      • Gas
      • General Manufacturing
      • Mining
      • Mining & Metals
      • Oil & Energy
      • Oil & Gas Discoveries
      • Utilities
      • Water Utilities
      • View All Energy & Natural Resources

      • Environ­ment

      • Conservation & Recycling
      • Environmental Issues
      • Environmental Policy
      • Environmental Products & Services
      • Green Technology
      • Natural Disasters
      • View All Environ­ment

      • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing

      • Aerospace & Defence
      • Agriculture
      • Chemical
      • Construction & Building
      • General Manufacturing
      • HVAC (Heating, Ventilation & Air-Conditioning)
      • Machinery
      • Machine Tools, Metalworking & Metallurgy
      • Mining
      • Mining & Metals
      • Paper, Forest Products & Containers
      • Precious Metals
      • Textiles
      • Tobacco
      • View All Heavy Industry & Manufacturing

      • Telecomm­unications

      • Carriers & Services
      • Mobile Entertainment
      • Networks
      • Peripherals
      • Telecommunications Equipment
      • Telecommunications Industry
      • VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
      • Wireless Communications
      • View All Telecomm­unications

  • Lifestyle & Health
      • Consumer Products & Retail

      • Animals & Pets
      • Beers, Wines & Spirits
      • Beverages
      • Bridal Services
      • Cannabis
      • Cosmetics & Personal Care
      • Fashion
      • Food & Beverages
      • Furniture & Furnishings
      • Home Improvement
      • Household, Consumer & Cosmetics
      • Household Products
      • Jewellery
      • Non-Alcoholic Beverages
      • Office Products
      • Organic Food
      • Product Recalls
      • Restaurants
      • Retail
      • Supermarkets
      • Toys
      • View All Consumer Products & Retail

      • Entertain­ment & Media

      • Advertising
      • Art
      • Books
      • Entertainment
      • Film & Motion Picture
      • Magazines
      • Music
      • Publishing & Information Services
      • Radio & Podcast
      • Television
      • View All Entertain­ment & Media

      • Health

      • Biometrics
      • Biotechnology
      • Clinical Trials & Medical Discoveries
      • Dentistry
      • FDA Approval
      • Fitness/Wellness
      • Health Care & Hospitals
      • Health Insurance
      • Infection Control
      • International Medical Approval
      • Medical Equipment
      • Medical Pharmaceuticals
      • Mental Health
      • Pharmaceuticals
      • Supplementary Medicine
      • View All Health

      • Sports

      • General Sports
      • Outdoors, Camping & Hiking
      • Sporting Events
      • Sports Equipment & Accessories
      • View All Sports

      • Travel

      • Amusement Parks & Tourist Attractions
      • Gambling & Casinos
      • Hotels & Resorts
      • Leisure & Tourism
      • Outdoors, Camping & Hiking
      • Passenger Aviation
      • Travel Industry
      • View All Travel

  • Policy & Public Interest
      • Policy & Public Interest

      • Animal Welfare
      • Corporate Social Responsibility
      • Economic News, Trends & Analysis
      • Education
      • Environmental
      • European Government
      • Labour & Union
      • Natural Disasters
      • Not For Profit
      • Public Safety
      • View All Policy & Public Interest

  • People & Culture
      • People & Culture

      • Aboriginal, First Nations & Native American
      • African American
      • Asian American
      • Children
      • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
      • Hispanic
      • Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual
      • Men's Interest
      • People with Disabilities
      • Religion
      • Senior Citizens
      • Veterans
      • Women
      • View All People & Culture

  • Overview
  • Distribution
  • Paid Placement
  • Multimedia
  • Disclosure Services
  • SocialBoost
  • Rooms
    • MediaRoom
    • ESG Rooms
  • AI Tools
  • General Enquiries
  • Media Enquiries
  • Partnerships
  • Hamburger menu
  • Cision PR Newswire UK provides press release distribution, targeting, monitoring, and marketing services
  • Send a Release
    • Phone

    • +44 (0)20 7454 5110 from 8 AM - 5:30 PM GMT

    • ALL CONTACT INFO
    • Contact Us

      +44 (0)20 7454 5110
      from 8 AM - 5:30 PM GMT

  • Client Login
  • Send a Release
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists
  • News in Focus
    • Browse News Releases
    • Regulatory News
  • Business & Money
    • Auto & Transportation
    • Business Technology
    • Entertain­ment & Media
    • Financial Services & Investing
    • General Business
  • Science & Tech
    • Consumer Technology
    • Energy & Natural Resources
    • Environ­ment
    • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing
    • Telecomm­unications
  • Lifestyle & Health
    • Consumer Products & Retail
    • Entertain­ment & Media
    • Health
    • Sports
    • Travel
  • Policy & Public Interest
    • Policy & Public Interest
  • People & Culture
    • People & Culture
  • Client Login
  • Send a Release
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists
  • Overview
  • Distribution
  • Paid Placement
  • Multimedia
  • Disclosure Services
  • Cision Communications Cloud®
  • AI Tools
  • Client Login
  • Send a Release
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists
  • General Enquiries
  • Media Enquiries
  • Partnerships
  • Client Login
  • Send a Release
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists

As Digital and Offline Lives Merge, 8 Out 10 Teens Post to Social Media Without a Second Thought


News provided by

Ask.fm

27 Aug, 2015, 12:00 GMT

Share this article

Share toX

Share this article

Share toX

Multi-Country Ask.fm Study Reveals Evolving Teen and Parent Attitudes and Usage When it Comes to Social Networks

DUBLIN, Aug. 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a study released today, Irish teens are unconcerned about the impact of their online activities, and are happy for their parents to see what they do on social networks. The study, conducted by leading international market research agency, YouGov on behalf of Ask.fm, the world's largest Q&A social network, investigated how teenagers use social networks, what their parents are concerned about and attitudes towards anonymity and bullying.

Seventy-seven per cent of Irish teenagers feel they rarely or never say things they will later regret, and almost half (46%) of the 206 teenagers in Ireland questioned stated they don't believe anyone their age takes what's posted online "seriously," further highlighting how comfortable they are online. Encouragingly, teens do appear to take bullying very seriously with 71% claiming they would step in if they observed this behavior. However, they also expect social networks to take action against bullying behavior, and prefer to report bullying they see on such sites in an anonymous fashion, if given the choice.

The study, Digital Families 2015: Evolving Attitudes Around Social Media and App Use, was conducted between May 29 and June 3, 2015 and had 2,905 respondents (206 Irish respondents), which included 13-18-year-olds and their parents. Results from the US and UK versions of the study can be found here.

Irish teen respondents are happy for parents to see their social media activity, underscoring the fact many teens use social networks as an everyday method for connecting with friends, as opposed to anything malicious:

  • Only 3 in 10 (27%) teens feel the need to "hide" their social media activity from parents. Although, Irish teenagers are more secretive than their US and UK counterparts (10% and 11% respectively);
  • 55 per cent stated "it doesn't matter" to them if parents follow their social media accounts.

An Extension of Their Physical World

"The Ask.fm report demonstrates the degree to which social networks have become an extension of a teenager's physical world. Teenagers don't always think through the consequences of their actions and it is no different online; although, as we've seen, the ramifications of poor online choices can have particularly ill effects on relationships and future opportunities. There is still much education to be done, and this involves everyone: the networks themselves, parents, teachers and the Government," said Annie Mullins OBE, Director of EU Safety Operations, Ask.fm.

The research shows the extent to which teenagers in Ireland are concerned with how they are perceived by peers while engaging with these services.

  • 37 per cent of Irish teenagers check to see if anyone has commented, favourited or liked their post within a few minutes of posting it;
  • 25 per cent enable push notifications so they don't have to check back in the app for updates;
  • Almost half (45%) always or sometimes feel disappointed if they don't get a response quickly after they have posted;
  • Irish and British teens are most fearful of being laughed at for talking about a crush/boyfriend/girlfriend, problems at home, family, and friends online (54% and 49%, respectively); however, American teens are less concerned about it (32%).

Attitudes Toward Anonymity: Sharing What They Really Feel

When it comes to anonymity online, it is not just reporting tools that teenagers want:

  • 46 per cent of Irish teens say being anonymous online allows them to share new ideas without the worry of being made fun of;
  • 36 per cent say they can share their real feelings this way.

Despite the perception by some that anonymity online can lead to or enable bullying, interestingly, 41% of teenagers across all countries who have been bullied online say they are more likely to talk about difficult topics online if they were anonymous. Of all Irish teenagers (whether they stated they were bullied or not) only 5% would talk about difficult topics on their public profile, compared to 50% if they were anonymous.

The study found teens post anonymous questions online for several reasons, including:

  • The ability to engage in discussions on topics they don't feel comfortable talking about publicly;
  • Avoiding looking "dumb" asking a question;
  • Wanting to learn what someone really thinks of them;
  • Showing a different side of their personality.

When it comes to their teenager's anonymity online, Irish parents' top concerns are that teenagers may give personal information away without knowing who they're giving it to, and adult predators can more easily target their child (both 65%).

Anonymity with Responsibility

"When offered in a responsible way, the option for anonymity online can be a powerful tool for teenagers. They want to discuss difficult topics, whether it be about first relationships, issues with their studies or problems at home, without the fear of being judged. However, we have to help users of this feature act responsibly with the right tools, moderation strategies, guidance and appropriate consequences for misuse. No one is ever 100% anonymous online. Teenagers need to know this, and be clear on the consequences of their actions," concluded Mullins.

Irish Parents More Cautious of Social Media Use

Even though parents have come to accept the fact their teenaged children's use of social media has become a part of everyday life, Irish parents are more cautious than their US and UK counterparts:

  • In the UK, almost half (45%) do not monitor their teen's online activity, compared to only 20% in Ireland and 26% in the US;
  • When examining how they monitor, over a third (38%) know their teenaged child's password(s) and log into their account(s).

Yet Parents Don't Use the Networks Their Teenagers do

While most parents say they are aware of most of the sites their teenagers spend time on (96%), it is clear that with the volume of networks and apps available, they aren't able to keep up, and certainly not able to spend time on all of them to best understand how they work. For example, Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram are three of the top five social networks Irish teenagers use, yet a third of Irish parents have never used them before (32%, 30% and 34% respectively).

"Given that social media is a part of everyday life, it is more important than ever that conversations about how to behave responsibly are also woven into everyday discussion. Understandably, staying on top of every social network is a daunting task for parents, which is why all stakeholders – teenagers, parents, teachers and the platforms – must work together to ensure younger users have the guidance and tools they need to create the safest and positive experience possible," commented Mullins.

Despite this still being a large percentage, Irish parents fare better than their US and UK counterparts: in both regions, almost half of parents haven't used the top two networks used by their teenagers.

Concern About Time Spent Online

For parents, the main concern was not about abuse or what their children might see or do while using these services, but rather the amount of time they spend online (61%) that could be spent on other activities such as homework.

Other big concerns are:

  • Teenagers might be targeted by adult predators (51%);
  • They might see something they shouldn't (56%);
  • They may use websites that aren't appropriate (56%).

Concern about their teenager being bullied is third to last (49%), although many more parents in Ireland are concerned about this when compared to the US (21%) and the UK (29%).

Bullying: Teens Take a Stand

When it comes to bullying, online or offline, teens are prepared to take action. Whether that is stepping in if they witness someone being bullied (71%), blocking someone from contacting them on a social network (54% have in the past and 23% would if they needed to), or approaching a parent (60%) if they are bullied themselves.

When it comes to taking action, Irish teenagers feel more comfortable reporting bullying online if they are anonymous compared to their counterparts in the UK and the US, especially if they are witnesses as opposed to targets themselves. Along with anonymous reporting, teenagers also expect social networks and apps to take action and hold bullies accountable by closing accounts and blocking them from opening new ones.

Bullying appears to be more commonplace in person than online, as stated by both parents and teenagers:

  • 43 per cent of parents have been told by their teenaged child that they have been bullied in the physical world;
    • Opposed to only 13% who have been told about cyberbullying.
  • The average proportion of teenagers that stated they had been bullied in person was 33%;
    • Opposed to 16% who said they had been bullied online.

"We share teens' view that networks must take abuse on their platform seriously and hold young people who bully accountable for their actions," said Mullins. "Our goal is to make it increasingly easier for users to block and report abusive behavior, and we'll continue to seek input from teens on how we can best empower them to call out bad behavior when they see it."

Please visit Ask.fm's Safety Center for additional survey findings and more information and tips on how to help teens make safe and healthy choices online.

About Ask.fm

Ask.fm is the world's largest Q&A social network where more than 150 million members in more than 150 countries connect and engage by asking each other questions. Ask.fm is operated by Ask.com, the leading brand for online questions and answers and an operating business of IAC.

Related Links

http://www.Ask.com

Modal title

Contact PR Newswire

  • +44 (0)20 7454 5110
    from 8 AM - 5:30 PM GMT
  • General Enquiries
  • Media Enquiries
  • Partnerships

Products

  • Content Distribution
  • Multimedia Services
  • Disclosure Services
  • Cision Communications Cloud®

About

  • About PR Newswire
  • About Cision
  • Partnering Opportunities
  • Careers
  • APAC
  • APAC - Simplified Chinese
  • APAC - Traditional Chinese
  • Brazil
  • Canada
  • Czech
  • Denmark
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Israel
  • Japan
  • Korea
  • Mexico
  • Middle East
  • Middle East - Arabic
  • Netherlands
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Russia
  • Slovakia
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • United States
  • Vietnam

My Services

  • All News Releases
  • Customer Portal
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists
  • Data Privacy

Do not sell or share my personal information:

  • Submit via Privacy@cision.com 
  • Call Privacy toll-free: 877-297-8921

Contact PR Newswire

Products

About

My Services
  • All News Releases
  • Customer Portal
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists
+44 (0)20 7454 5110
from 8 AM - 5:30 PM GMT
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Information Security Policy
  • Site Map
  • RSS
  • Cookie Settings
Copyright © 2025 PR Newswire Europe Limited. All Rights Reserved. A Cision company.