engleski

INFLUENCE OF THE DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT ON CHILDREN: COMPARISON OF PARENTS' PERCEPTION IN CROATIA AND SELECTED EU COUNTRIES

With the rise in modern information and communication technologies, the digital environment is constantly changing the way we communicate, carry out our work assignments, and spend our free time. Considering that the digital transformation is changing the world every day, it also has a continuous effect on children, i.e. on their behaviour in the digital environment. A research study conducted in the Republic of Croatia has resulted in information on the habits of children in this environment, but also on their daily activities, as well as the situations they have actually experienced in their interaction with the internet. By comparing this information with the methodologically comparable research conducted in eight selected EU countries, we have concluded that children in the Republic of Croatia, regarding their behaviour, do not behave significantly different in the digital marketing environment when compared to the children in other countries. The children included in the research, the one in the Republic of Croatia, as well as the research on the EU level, use digital devices daily to carry out various internet-based activities, and a large majority of them also own such devices for their personal use. The parents participate in online activities of their children actively and restrictively, and the perception of risk resulting from the dangers of the internet is rather high, which is conditioned by the potential harmful effects and the likelihood of occurrence. The danger is related to violence, safety, and the protection of privacy and the personal information of children, as well as marketing activities and the exposure to ads that encourage unhealthy habits and consumerism. Regarding the parents’ preferences on the safety measures, they believe certain ones are more effective than others. Similar to the fact that there are no significant differences in the behaviour of children, there are also no statistically significant differences in the methods of parental mediation, considering various sociodemographic characteristics.

children, the internet, digital marketing, Republic of Croatia, European Union

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