Welcome to the On-Line Internet Generation: 4 in 10 Children Are Addicted to the Internet

JUST 4 IN 10?

Almost four in 10 young people fear they are addicted to the internet, according to new research, prompting fears from children’s campaigners that youngsters could leave themselves vulnerable to cyber bullying.

Two thirds of 11 to 17-year-olds take their tablet, smartphone or laptop to bed with themselves and use the devices to talk to friends online, play games and watch films, the survey, of more than 2,200 young people, found.

Of those taking their internet devices to bed, only a third were doing homework, while two-thirds were talking to friends on social networks or watching films and videos.

One 12-year-old girl said: “The internet nearly always controls my actions. I have been told that I am addicted to the internet, and prefer its company rather than being with other people. I feel lost without the internet.