Online relationships

Online relationships

Some young Australians aged 12 to 17 feel more at ease online than offline.

Here are some reasons why:

More freedom

• 26% feel that they have more freedom online
• 29% feel the same level of freedom offline and online
• 39% feel they have more freedom offline

More confidence

• 24% feel more confident online
• 41% feel more confident offline
• 30% feel that their level of confidence is the same online and offline

More open

• 21% feel they can express what they think online
• 38% feel that they are more open offline
• 36% feel that there is no difference online and offline

Time with friends

• 18% spend the same amount of time with friends online and offline
• 63% spend more time with friends offline
• 18% spend more time with friends online. 

The proportion who spent more time with friends online was higher for: 

• older teens: 20% for 15 to 17 year olds compared to 15% for 12 to 14 year olds
• those born overseas: 22%, compared to 17% for those born in Australia

Friendships

• 78% have best friends who they interact with offline only
• 15% have best friends who they interact with both online and offline
• 6% have best friends who they interact with solely online

Feel safer

• 52% feel safer offline than online
• 31% feel equally safe online and offline
• 11% feel safer online than offline

Source: Research commissioned by the eSafety and the Department of Education and Training, November to December 2016. Respondents comprised 2,448 young people aged 12 to 17 years in Australia.