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- media@commsroom.co
The ninth iteration of Microsoft’s annual report, launched on Safer Internet Day, reveals insights into how teens and parents perceive and experience online risks.
The survey, which includes responses from nearly 15,000 teens and adults globally, including 1,000 from Australia, showed the top risks that Australian teenagers faced online in 2024 include:
While these numbers have remained steady year over year, teens are feeling less worried about cyberbullying, harassment or abuse than the year prior, down from 70 percent in 2023 to 38 percent over 2024. Meanwhile parents are becoming more attuned to the risks teenagers face, with the data showing an increase in understanding of children’s digital challenges.
When faced with a risk online, 73 percent of surveyed teens say they block, mute or unfriend, while they are increasingly likely to turn to parents or find someone else to speak to after experiencing a risk online (65 percent, up from 59 percent the year prior).
Read also: NSW applauds stricter regulations on social media for children
Respondents quizzed on detecting AI generated images
This year’s report has also revealed a rising use of generative AI among Australian teens, with 28 percent saying they have used AI in the past three months, up from 18 percent the year prior.
While teen respondents expressed excitement about generative AI to help with tasks like translation, answering questions and being more efficient, more than 80 percent of surveyed parents worry that AI usage will expose teens to inappropriate or harmful content and misinformation and disinformation. This is echoed by teens, with nearly three quarters worried about generative AI-related scams, sexual or online abuse and deepfakes.
With the increased use of generative AI, Microsoft has also used this as an opportunity to quiz respondents on their ability to identify AI-generated content, using images from its “Real or Not” quiz tool.
The data showed that only 38 percent of images were identified correctly, with 73 percent of respondents admitting that spotting AI-generated images is hard. that spotting AI-generated images is hard.
Responses to online safety differ depending on the country. Full results can be accessed here.
Adrianne Saplagio is a Content Producer at Comms Room, where she combines her passion for storytelling with her expertise in multimedia content creation. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for engaging audiences, Adrianne has been instrumental in crafting compelling narratives that resonate across various digital platforms.
