United Kingdom Children Go Online, 2003-2005

UKDA study number:5475

Principal Investigators

Livingstone, S.
Bober, M.
London School of Economics and Political Science. Department of Media and Communications

Sponsor

Economic and Social Research Council

Distributed by

UK Data Archive, University of Essex, Colchester.

November 2006

 

Bibliographic Citation

All works which use or refer to these materials should acknowledge these sources by means of bibliographic citation. To ensure that such source attributions are captured for bibliographic indexes, citations must appear in footnotes or in the reference section of publications. The bibliographic citation for this data collection is:
Livingstone, S. and Bober, M., United Kingdom Children Go Online, 2003-2005 [computer file]. Colchester, Essex: UK Data Archive [distributor], November 2006. SN: 5475, http://dx.doi.org/10.5255/UKDA-SN-5475-1

 

Acknowledgement

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Copyright:
S. Livingstone

 

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5475 . United Kingdom Children Go Online, 2003-2005
(UK Children Go Online (UKCGO))

 

Depositor:

Livingstone, S. , London School of Economics and Political Science. Department of Media and Communications

Principal Investigators:

Livingstone, S. , London School of Economics and Political Science. Department of Media and Communications
Bober, M. , London School of Economics and Political Science. Department of Media and Communications

Sponsor:

Economic and Social Research Council
Grant Number: RES-335-25-0008

Abstract:

This is a mixed methods data collection.

Many United Kingdom households, especially those with children, now have access to the internet although, importantly, some do not. The growing significance of the internet in our lives raises many questions for social scientists, policy makers and the public - about access and inequalities, the nature and quality of use, the implications for education, family life and social relationships and the balance between online risks and opportunities.

The research project United Kingdom Children Go Online (UKCGO) conducted a thorough investigation of 9-19 year olds' use of the internet between 2003 and 2005. Work was conducted with girls and boys of different ages and socio-economic backgrounds across the UK in order to ask how the internet may be transforming, or may itself be shaped by, family life, peer networks and education.

The research combined qualitative focus group and paired interviews and observations in schools and households with a national, in-home, Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) face-to-face survey of 1,511 children 9-19 years old, together with a self-completion questionnaire to 906 parents of the 9-17 years olds, exploring the nature and meaning of children’s internet use and mapping emerging patterns of attitudes and practices across diverse contexts and social groups.

UKCGO balances an assessment of online risks and opportunities in order to contribute to developing academic debates and policy frameworks for children and young people's internet use by asking, amongst other things: how children and young people are accessing and using the internet; how families differ in their responses to the internet; what the internet means to them; and, most importantly whether some light can be shed on the consequences of widespread internet use.

The research design included three phases: Further information and reports relating to the project can be found at the UKCGO web site United Kingdom Children Go Online

Related study European Union Kids Online: Enhancing Knowledge Regarding European Children's Use, Risk and Safety Online, 2010 is also held at the UK Data Archive under study number 6885. The project aimed to enhance the knowledge base regarding children’s and parents’ experiences and practices of risk and safety in their use of the internet and new online technologies in Europe covering 25 EU countries.

Main Topics:

Specific topics focused on were: access, inequalities and the digital divide; undesirable forms of content and contact; education, informal learning and literacy; communication, identity and participation; parental regulation of media use, literacy risks, and opportunities of internet use.

Coverage:

Time Period Covered: 2003 - 2005
Dates of Fieldwork: Phase I: summer 2003; phase II: January to March 2004; Phase III: autumn 2004
Country: United Kingdom
Spatial Units: Enumeration Districts (2001); Standard Regions
Observation Units: Individuals; Families/households; Groups
Kind of Data: Textual data; Numeric data; Individual (micro) level; Focus Group transcripts; Semi-structured interview transcripts

Universe Sampled:

Location of Units of Observation: National
Population: Young people between 9 and 19 years old and their parents in the United Kingdom between 2003 and 2005

Methodology:

Time Dimensions: Cross-sectional (one-time) study
Sampling Procedures: Multi-stage stratified random sample
Number of Units: Qualitative: focus groups 27; semi-structured family visit interviews 13; online panel chat logs 11. Quantitative: 1,511
Method of Data Collection: Face-to-face interview; Self-completion; Observation; Focus group; Online panel
Weighting: Weighting used. See documentation for details (quantitative data)

Language(s) of Written Materials:

Study Description: English
Study Documentation: English

Access:

Access Conditions: The depositor has specified that registration is required and standard conditions of use apply. The depositor may be informed about usage. See terms and conditions for further information.
Availability: ESDS Qualidata, UK Data Archive
Contact: Help desk: qualidata@esds.ac.uk

Date of First Release:

17 November 2006

Copyright:

S. Livingstone


File last updated:

24 April 2012