Experiences with and Risks of Internet Use Among Children in Kosovo
Keywords:
children, adolescents, internet use, social media, cyberbullying
Abstract
This paper aims to explore the use of, experiences with, and risks of internet among children in Kosovo. This country has never been involved in the European project called Kids Online. Through a survey based on the Kids Online questionnaire, 437 children aged 11-16 were surveyed in 34 schools across the country. The results show that over 90% of children of this age stay online from one to six hours; YouTube and Instagram are the most preferred platforms; over 90% of them own smartphones. Conversely, many parents have admitted to being less knowledgeable about technology than their children. Parental mediation and schooling remain important, and the paper recommends the introduction of Media Literacy as a separate subject in pre-university education in Kosovo.
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References
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Navarro, R., Serna, C., Martínez, V. and Ruiz-Oliva, R. (2013). The role of Internet use and parental mediation in cyberbullying victimization among Spanish children from rural public schools. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 28(3). 725–745. DOI: https://doi.org/10.100–7/s10212-012-0137-2
Ólafsson, K., Livingstone, S. and Haddon, L. (2014). Children’s Use of Online Technologies in Europe. A review of the European evidence base. London: LSE, EU Kids Online. Revised edition.
Olweus, D. (1978). Aggression in the Schools: Bullies and Whipping Boys. Washington: Hemisphere Publishing Corporation.
Paus-Hasebrink, I., Kulterer, J. and Sinner, P. (2019). Social Inequality, Childhood and the Media: A Longitudinal Study of the Mediatization of Socialisation. Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-02653-0
Pavlin, M. H., Dumančić, D. and Sužnjević, M. (2020). Analysis of Teenagers’ Facebook Profile Creation with a Special Focus on Photography: Insights from Croatia. KOME − An International Journal of Pure Communication Inquiry. 8(1), 58–79. DOI: https://doi.org/10.–17646/KOME.75672.35
Ponte, C. (2019). Challenging online situations reported by Italian and Portuguese children in 2018. Mediterranean Journal of Communication, 10(2), 37–50. DOI: https://doi.org/–10.14198/M–EDCOM2019.10.2.3
Shah, R. and Tewari, R. (2016). Demystifying “selfie”: A rampant social media activity. Behavior & Information Technology, 35, 864–871.
Smahel, D., Machackova, H., Mascheroni, G., Dedkova, L., Staksrud, E., Ólafsson, K., Livingstone, S. and Hasebrink, U. (2020). EU Kids Online 2020: Survey results from 19 countries. EU Kids Online. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21953/lse.47fdeqj01ofo
Staksrud, E. (2013). Children in the Online World: risk, regulation, rights. Farnham, UK: Ashgate.
Staksrud, E. and Livingstone, S. (2009). Children and online risk: powerless victims or resourceful participants? Information, Communication and Society, 12(3), 364–387. DOI: https://doi.org/1–0.1080/13691180802635455
Stocchetti, M. (2020). Selfie and Interpellation - A Preliminary Study of the Role of Ideology in the Social Construction of Reality, Self and Society in the Digital Age, KOME − An International Journal of Pure Communication Inquiry, 8(1), 44–57. DOI: https://do-i.org/10.17646/K–OME.75672.37
Tokunaga, R. S. (2010). Following you home from school: A critical review and synthesis of research on cyberbullying victimization. Computers in Human Behavior, 26, 277–287.
Veum, A. and Moland Undrum, L. V. (2018). The selfie as a global discourse. Discourse & Society, 29(1), 86–103.
Weinstein, E. C. and Selman, R. L. (2016). Digital stress: Adolescents’ personal accounts. New Media & Society, 18(3), 391–409. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/146144-4814543989
Wise, J. M. (2008). Cultural Globalization: A user’s guide. New York: Wiley Blackwell.
Buckingham, D., Bragg, S. and Kehily, J. (2014). Youth Cultures in the Age of Global Media. Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan.
Correa, T. (2014). Bottom-Up Technology Transmission within Families: Exploring how Youths Influence their Parents’ Digital Media use with Dyadic Data. Journal of Communication, 64(1), 103–124.
Couldry, N. (2012). Media, Society, World: Social Theory and Digital Media Practice. Cambridge: Polity Press.
DeLara, E. W. (2016). Bullying Scars: The Impact on Adult Life and Relationships. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Duek, C. and Moguillansky, M. (2020). Children, digital screens and family: parental mediation practices and gender. Comunicação e sociedade, 37, 55–70. DOI: https://do-i.org/10.17231/c–omsoc.37(2020).2407
Fallon, K. (2014). Streams of the self: The Instagram feed as narrative autobiography. In H. Moura, R. Sternberg, R. Cunha, C. Queiroz, & M. Zeilinger (Eds.), Proceedings of the Interactive Narratives, New Media & Social Engagement International Conference, pp. 54–60. Retrieved from http://interactiveconference.spanport.utoronto.ca/resources/Fa-llon.pdf
Gergen, K. J. (2011). The Self as Social Construction. Psychological Studies, 56, 108–116. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12646-011-0066-1
Hasebrink, U. and Paus-Hasebrink, I. (2013). Trends in children’s consumption of media. In: D. Lemish (Ed.), The Routledge International Handbook of Children, Adolescents and Media, 31–38. Milton Park and London, UK: Routledge and Taylor & Francis.
Hasebrink U, Ólafsson, K. and Stetka, V. (2010). Commonalities and differences: How to learn from international comparisons of children's online behavior. International Journal of Media and Cultural Politics, 6(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1386/macp.-6.1.9/1
Hasebrink, U., Livingstone, S., Haddon, L. and Ólafsson, K. (2009). Comparing children’s online opportunities and risks across Europe: Cross-national comparisons for EU Kids Online. LSE, London: EU Kids Online. Retrieved from http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/24368/1/D3-.2_Report-Cros–s_national_comparisons-2nd-edition.pdf
Hasebrink, U., Livingstone, S., and Haddon, L. (2008). Comparing Children's Online Opportunities and Risks across Europe: Cross-national comparisons for EU Kids Online. London: EU Kids Online (Deliverable 3.2.).
Jiménez-Morales, M., Montaña, M. and Medina-Bravo, P. (2020). Childhood use of mobile devices: Influence of mothers’ socio-educational level. Comunicar, 64, 21–28. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3916/C64-2020-02
Kucirkova, N. and Sakr, M. (2015). Child-father creative text-making at home with crayons, iPad collage and PC. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 17, 59-73. DOI: https://do-i.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2015.05.003
Livingstone, S. (2010). Ragazzi Online. Crescere con internet nella società digitale [Growing up with the internet in the digital society]. Milano: Vita e Pensiero.
Livingstone, S. and Brake, D. R. (2009). On the rapid rise of social networking sites: New findings and policy implications. Children & Society, 24, 75–83.
Livingstone, S. and Haddon, L. (2009). EU Kids Online: Final report. LSE, London: EU Kids Online. (EC Safer Internet Plus Programme Deliverable D6.5). Retrieved from http://www.lse.a–c.uk/media@lse/research/EUKidsOnline/EU%20Kids%20I%20(2006-9)/EU%20Kid–s%2-0Online%20I%20Reports/EUKidsOn-lineFinalRep-ort.pdf
Livingstone, S. and Helsper, E. J. (2008). Parental mediation of children’s Internet use. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 52(4), 581–599. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1-080/0883–8150802437396
Livingstone, S. and Sefton-Green, J. (2016). The Class: Living and Learning in the Digital Age. New York: New York University Press.
Livingstone, S., Haddon, L., Görzig, A. and Ólafsson, K. (2011). Risks and safety on the internet: The perspective of European children. Full Findings. London: LSE, EU Kids Online.
Livingstone, S., Kirwill, L., Ponte, C. and Staksrud, E. (2014). In their own words. What bothers children online? European Journal of Communication, 29(3), 271–288. DOI: https://doi.org/10–.1177/0267323114521045
Livingstone, S., Mascheroni, G. and Staksrud, E. (2015). Developing a framework for researching children’s online risks and opportunities in Europe. Retrieved from: http://www.lse.ac.u-k/media@ls–e/research/EUKidsOnline/EUKidsIV/PDF/TheEUKidsOnlineresearchframework.pdf
Livingstone, S. and Helsper, E. (2013). Children, internet and risk in comparative perspective. Journal of Children and Media, 7 (1), 1–8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/174-82798.2012.739751
Locatelli, E. (2017). Images of Breastfeeding on Instagram: Self-Representation, Publicness, and Privacy Management. Social Media + Society. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1-177/2056305–117707190
Manovich, L. (2016). Instagram and Contemporary Image. Retrieved from http://manovich.net/in–dex.php/projects/instagram-and-contemporary-image
Mascheroni, G., Ponte, C. and Jorge, A. (Eds.) (2018). Digital Parenting. The Challenges for Families in the Digital Age. University of Gothenburg, Nordicom.
McQuade, S. C. III, Colt, J. P. and Meyer, N. B. (2009). Cyber Bullying. Protecting Kids and Adults from Online Bullies, USA: Praeger.
McWilliams, K., Goodman, G. S., Raskauskas, J. and Cordon, I. M. (2014). Child Maltreatment and Bullying, 300–315. In: G. B. Melton, A. Ben-Arieh, J. Cashmore, G. S. Goodman and N. K. Worley. The Sage Handbook of Child Research. Sage. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4135/–9781446294758
Mendoza, K. (2009). Surveying parental mediation: Connections, challenges and questions for media literacy. Journal of Media Literacy Education, 1(1), 28–41.
Navarro, R., Serna, C., Martínez, V. and Ruiz-Oliva, R. (2013). The role of Internet use and parental mediation in cyberbullying victimization among Spanish children from rural public schools. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 28(3). 725–745. DOI: https://doi.org/10.100–7/s10212-012-0137-2
Ólafsson, K., Livingstone, S. and Haddon, L. (2014). Children’s Use of Online Technologies in Europe. A review of the European evidence base. London: LSE, EU Kids Online. Revised edition.
Olweus, D. (1978). Aggression in the Schools: Bullies and Whipping Boys. Washington: Hemisphere Publishing Corporation.
Paus-Hasebrink, I., Kulterer, J. and Sinner, P. (2019). Social Inequality, Childhood and the Media: A Longitudinal Study of the Mediatization of Socialisation. Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-02653-0
Pavlin, M. H., Dumančić, D. and Sužnjević, M. (2020). Analysis of Teenagers’ Facebook Profile Creation with a Special Focus on Photography: Insights from Croatia. KOME − An International Journal of Pure Communication Inquiry. 8(1), 58–79. DOI: https://doi.org/10.–17646/KOME.75672.35
Ponte, C. (2019). Challenging online situations reported by Italian and Portuguese children in 2018. Mediterranean Journal of Communication, 10(2), 37–50. DOI: https://doi.org/–10.14198/M–EDCOM2019.10.2.3
Shah, R. and Tewari, R. (2016). Demystifying “selfie”: A rampant social media activity. Behavior & Information Technology, 35, 864–871.
Smahel, D., Machackova, H., Mascheroni, G., Dedkova, L., Staksrud, E., Ólafsson, K., Livingstone, S. and Hasebrink, U. (2020). EU Kids Online 2020: Survey results from 19 countries. EU Kids Online. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21953/lse.47fdeqj01ofo
Staksrud, E. (2013). Children in the Online World: risk, regulation, rights. Farnham, UK: Ashgate.
Staksrud, E. and Livingstone, S. (2009). Children and online risk: powerless victims or resourceful participants? Information, Communication and Society, 12(3), 364–387. DOI: https://doi.org/1–0.1080/13691180802635455
Stocchetti, M. (2020). Selfie and Interpellation - A Preliminary Study of the Role of Ideology in the Social Construction of Reality, Self and Society in the Digital Age, KOME − An International Journal of Pure Communication Inquiry, 8(1), 44–57. DOI: https://do-i.org/10.17646/K–OME.75672.37
Tokunaga, R. S. (2010). Following you home from school: A critical review and synthesis of research on cyberbullying victimization. Computers in Human Behavior, 26, 277–287.
Veum, A. and Moland Undrum, L. V. (2018). The selfie as a global discourse. Discourse & Society, 29(1), 86–103.
Weinstein, E. C. and Selman, R. L. (2016). Digital stress: Adolescents’ personal accounts. New Media & Society, 18(3), 391–409. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/146144-4814543989
Wise, J. M. (2008). Cultural Globalization: A user’s guide. New York: Wiley Blackwell.
Published
2022-06-16
How to Cite
Saliu H., Rexhepi Z., Shatri S., & Kamberi M. (2022). Experiences with and Risks of Internet Use Among Children in Kosovo. Journal of Elementary Education, 15(2), 145-164. https://doi.org/10.18690/rei.15.2.145-164.2022
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Section
Scientific Articles
Copyright (c) 2022 Hasan Saliu, Zija Rexhepi, Saranda Shatri, Mimoza Kamberi
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.