The internet is an integral part of Aussie teens’ digital lives. While teens’ high use of technology offers many benefits, there is a downside – negative online experiences.

This research provides a glimpse into the digital lives of Australian teenagers, how they deal with negative online experiences, the types of information they need to stay safe online and the information sources that they trust. It also looks at the types of positive online behaviours in which they engage.

The research is based on a survey of 627 teens aged 12-17 in September 2020.

Key findings:

• Results in 2020 show that this group spend a large amount of their time online on a range of activities. This is not particularly surprising given the critical role the internet played in connecting people to services, information, friends and family during the recent COVID-19 restrictions. It highlights that while social media preferences are changing, mainstream players such as YouTube and Facebook continue to capture much of this group's attention. Newer services, including TikTok and Discord have, however, made significant inroads into the youth market in Australia over a relatively short period of time.
• While teens’ increased use of technology offers many benefits such as being able to research topics of interest and connect with family and friends, there is a downside – teens continue to deal with negative online experiences including unwanted contact, cyberbullying and harassment.
• A surprising finding was that Australian teens are active in helping build positive and inclusive online relationships, which could help others when dealing with similar issues online. This was even more apparent with teens who had previously had a negative online experience.