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A public awareness campaign launched by the City of Warsaw featured a provocative message: \u201cYou wouldn\u2019t leave a child alone in a strange city.\u201d Based on findings from the Internet of Children<\/em> report, the campaign appeared on posters across Poland and encouraged adults to think differently about children\u2019s online safety. At the same time, public debate increasingly turned toward calls to ban smartphones in elementary schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The experience of the Netherlands, which introduced such a ban in 2024, points to several positive outcomes. Studies have reported improved concentration, better academic performance, and lower levels of stress and social comparison among students. However, researchers at the University of Birmingham reached different conclusions. In a study involving 30 schools, they found no significant differences in academic achievement, mental well-being, classroom behavior, or sleep quality between schools that had introduced phone bans and those that had not. The researchers argue that no single measure can fully address the issue, particularly given that children and adolescents spend most of their time online outside school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Internet of Children<\/em> report likewise suggests that the scale and complexity of young people\u2019s online lives require broader, systemic responses, including action by policymakers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Poland offers an interesting example of how pressure can be exerted on global technology platforms. Rafa\u0142 Brzoska, founder of InPost, successfully pushed Facebook to remove false content about him \u2013 at least temporarily, under a court injunction \u2013 demonstrating that coordinated legal and economic pressure can influence the decisions of major digital platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Internet of Children. A Report on the Monitoring of the Presence of Children and Adolescents on the Internet <\/em>is a publication produced through collaboration between the Institute for Digital Citizenship Foundation, the University of Warsaw, Polskie Badania Internetu (Polish Internet Research), the State Committee for Counteracting the Sexual Abuse of Minors Below 15 Years of Age, and Gemius.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Researchers analyzed detailed data from the fourth quarter of 2024, focusing on two age groups: children aged 7\u201314 (roughly corresponding to primary school) and adolescents aged 15\u201318 (secondary school students). They also identified a particularly vulnerable subgroup: children aged 7\u201312. Although these users are, in principle, not allowed to access most social media platforms \u2013 such as TikTok, Instagram, or Snapchat \u2013 in practice, many of them do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cReports on children\u2019s presence on certain types of websites, including pornography sites, had already appeared in Poland. But about a decade ago, we still knew very little about the influence of social media platforms on their users. At the time, they were widely praised for their potential to support communication and marketing. Over time, however, it became clear that they can also have harmful effects, such as exposure to inappropriate content, cyberbullying, and contact with predators. Although most platforms set a minimum age of 13 in their terms of service, the data in our report show that much younger children are also using them,\u201d notes Prof. Anna Miotk from the Faculty of Journalism, Information, and Book Studies at the University of Warsaw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The research behind the report combined two complementary methods. First, it used desk research, analyzing data from existing reports and studies. Second, it drew on data from the Mediapanel measurement, which tracks website traffic as well as the use of mobile apps and streaming services. With parental consent, children and adolescents aged 7\u201318 participate in the panel component of the study. They are given specially prepared smartphones or install a research app on their computer or tablet. These devices then record digital behavior, including the websites they visit, the apps they use, and how much time they spend on them. Scripts embedded in websites and web applications also provide additional data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The report aimed not only to build a comprehensive dataset, but also to interpret the findings in depth and develop concrete recommendations that could, if implemented, lead to real change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The authors set out not just to confirm what many already suspect \u2013 that spending long hours in front of screens can be harmful to health \u2013 but, more importantly, to show how broad and complex the risks facing children online really are. These risks go far beyond exposure to violent or sexual content and include the hidden mechanisms that monetize children\u2019s attention, time, and emotions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The data highlights the scale of the problem. Nearly one in two young people (according to a report published by NASK, Poland\u2019s National Research Institute for cybersecurity and digital policy) has encountered cases of friends being mocked or attacked online. One in three has experienced humiliation or ridicule and has received a nude or semi-nude image of someone else. Polish youth (according to the Youth Skills report) are the most exposed to hate speech in a comparison of six countries. More than a quarter of young users admit to watching trashstreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even more concerning are the figures on sexual violence. The estimated likelihood of experiencing some form of online sexual violence during childhood in Poland is 69% (according to the international organization WeProtect). In 57% of cases, this involves receiving sexual content from an adult. 51% of respondents report being asked online to engage in sexual activity, 30% say they were asked by an adult to keep such interactions secret, and 21% have had sexually explicit images shared without their consent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even seemingly harmless online activities can be part of a larger system. Watching videos, playing games, or scrolling through apps all feed into a model that turns every second of a child\u2019s attention into profit. As researchers note, children are increasingly becoming \u201cfree raw material for translation into behavioral data.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe know children are online. We know the scale is enormous. We know that, because of how social media algorithms work, they are likely to encounter harmful content with potentially devastating effects. We also know that children may be approached by predators looking for victims,\u201d adds Prof. Miotk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the fourth quarter of 2024, more than half of children aged 7\u201314 (51.3%) visited at least one adult website. In the older group (15\u201318), the share was even higher \u2013 53.8%. Most of this traffic comes from smartphones rather than home computers, which are more often subject to parental control. On average, children spend between 10 and 14 minutes a day on such sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat surprised me when I looked at the data was Pornhub\u2019s place among the ten most visited domains. I assumed that with such high levels of use among children, access to the site would be very easy. In reality, it often works just like alcohol-related websites \u2013 click \u2018I am 18\u2019, and you\u2019re in. Everything is immediately accessible. What also stood out to me was how strategic children are: they rarely use home computers, which are usually monitored, and instead turn to smartphones. At the same time, there are tools that allow parents to monitor phone activity, block websites, and limit screen time,\u201d the researcher says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, this is only a small snapshot of what the report reveals. Among the youngest users, sexual content ranks third among the most popular content categories. Unsurprisingly, education comes first, with platforms such as Wikipedia used by 94.8% of users aged 15\u201318 and 95.2% of those aged 7\u201314.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The second most popular category is culture and entertainment, led by video games and closely followed by music. YouTube and TikTok stand out across all age groups and devices as the biggest time sinks. In December 2024 alone, users spent an average of more than 24 hours on these platforms \u2013 1 day, 12 hours, and 28 minutes on YouTube, and 1 day, 18 hours, and 17 minutes on TikTok. On mobile devices, time spent on TikTok exceeded YouTube by more than 10 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The report also provides detailed data on the youngest users, offering a rare insight into how deeply they engage with specific apps. In terms of total users, YouTube leads the ranking with nearly 1.5 million active users under the age of 13 \u2013 defined as those who open the app for at least two minutes on four separate days per week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, when it comes to attention intensity, TikTok clearly dominates. Children open it on average 17 times a day (compared to 9 for YouTube) and spend around 2 hours and 11 minutes on the app daily \u2013 more than 2.5 days per month. Notably, one in three children aged 7\u201312 opens TikTok more than 20 times a day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis level of engagement is closely linked to how the platforms are designed. On YouTube, you choose a video, and then you\u2019re shown a list of recommendations below, which encourages continued viewing if you have time. With TikTok, the effect is even stronger. Its \u2018Reels\u2019 mechanism automatically delivers the next video as soon as the previous one ends, which makes it highly addictive,\u201d Prof. Miotk notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The worst possible takeaway from the report would be the idea that children should simply be cut off from the internet and smartphones, the researchers stress. First, that is unrealistic. These devices are now everywhere and play a central role in almost every area of life. Second, the digital world also has its positive side. During the pandemic, for many people it became a space for connection and support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So the solution is not simply to impose restrictions on children \u2013 adults also need to examine their own habits. They may use different apps or spend less time on YouTube or TikTok, but their own digital lives are still measured in hours each day. Instead of focusing solely on limits, the discussion should shift toward responsibility and leading by example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf a child sees a parent endlessly scrolling while repeatedly saying that smartphones are harmful, the message becomes inconsistent. It\u2019s like smoking while telling your child that smoking is bad,\u201d Prof. Miotk emphasizes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As artificial intelligence \u2013 especially large language models powering today\u2019s chatbots \u2013 continues to advance, an increasingly urgent question emerges: does technology still serve us, or have we already started serving it? This is one of the defining challenges of our time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, there are concrete steps that can be taken now. The researchers behind the report outline more than a dozen recommendations. Some focus on regulation, including the implementation of the European Union\u2019s strategy to more effectively combat child sexual abuse material, as well as EU Directive 2011\/93\/EU on combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children. They also call for integrating information, digital, and media literacy into education and training systems, along with teaching digital hygiene from an early age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other measures involve better enforcement of existing rules. For example, cooperation with mobile operators and internet service providers could help develop mechanisms to flag phone numbers used by children, improving safeguards for younger users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Equally important are public awareness campaigns, digital education across all age groups, and clear standards for child protection in the digital space \u2013 particularly in advertising and marketing. The authors also call for continued research to monitor emerging threats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn China, there is a separate version of TikTok that, to some extent, serves government communication goals \u2013 otherwise it wouldn\u2019t be allowed \u2013 but it also aims to promote more educational content. On the one hand, there are efforts to encourage more positive use of platforms; on the other, there is growing pressure to limit their harmful effects. The example of Rafa\u0142 Brzoska showed that such pressure can be effective when someone has enough influence and resources. Finally, we need to raise awareness about harmful content and the range of risks the internet can pose \u2013 and how to respond to them. This is a key moment, as media education is now being introduced in schools,\u201d Prof. Miotk concludes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With each passing year, the challenges will grow \u2013 and become harder to address. Dazzled by technological breakthroughs, we risk missing the moment when control slips away. And the problems we fail to solve today may return tomorrow with even greater force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The text was originally published in Polish on the Serwis Naukowy UW website on August 7, 2025.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" One in two children aged 7\u201314 has already been exposed to online pornography. One in three children aged 7\u201312 is on TikTok. In the first case, it takes a single click \u2013 \u201cYes, I\u2019m 18, enter.\u201d In the second, a few casual swipes unlock a stream of apps that are officially meant for users 13 and up.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":9648,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[236],"tags":[714,1804,1802,712,1803,1387],"class_list":["post-9647","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-media","tag-gemius","tag-institute-for-digital-citizenship-foundation","tag-internet-of-children-a-report-on-the-monitoring-of-the-presence-of-children-and-adolescents-on-the-internet","tag-polskie-badania-internetu","tag-state-committee-for-counteracting-the-sexual-abuse-of-minors-below-15-years-of-age","tag-university-of-warsaw"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/serwisnaukowy.uw.edu.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9647","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/serwisnaukowy.uw.edu.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/serwisnaukowy.uw.edu.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/serwisnaukowy.uw.edu.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/serwisnaukowy.uw.edu.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9647"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/serwisnaukowy.uw.edu.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9647\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9658,"href":"https:\/\/serwisnaukowy.uw.edu.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9647\/revisions\/9658"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/serwisnaukowy.uw.edu.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9648"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/serwisnaukowy.uw.edu.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9647"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/serwisnaukowy.uw.edu.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9647"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/serwisnaukowy.uw.edu.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9647"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/serwisnaukowy.uw.edu.pl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/kid-pokazano-jego-nowy-telefon-1024x683.webp\")
What, where, when, and how: A guide for parent<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Digital violence leaves no bruises<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Pornhub is among children\u2019s favorite websites. And yes \u2013 this is really happening.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Simple steps, complex challenges<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Act now. Before we lose control<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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