Spain

In brief: Spanish findings from EU Kids Online 2020

Spanish children’s engagement online with communication and entertainment activities has increased since 2015. Their preference for communicating with family and friends (70%), and leisure activities – such as listening to music (63%), watching video clips (55%) and playing online (46%) – on a daily basis stands out, whereas the evidence shows lower interest in participatory and civic activities.

While engaging in their everyday online activities, 33% of the children were bothered or upset online. Social and instrumental skills are the most widespread among Spanish children, whereas informational and creative skills are a little less common. This shows the need for improving school mediation.

Even though Spanish children feel their school is a place they belong to, with supportive teachers willing to help them, teachers don’t really mediate their online activities and tend to be more restrictive (39%) than proactive (29%) when mediating the students’ online activities. They also tend to set more restrictions on teenagers (43%) rather than on pre-teens (33%). Policy on digital literacy in primary and secondary education focusing on safer internet use and pedagogical change would definitely contribute to developing children’s online skills.

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The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns arrived very unexpectedly. Within days, primary school educators had to make the transition from in-person to online teaching. As participants of the process openly admit, this change in teaching practice demonstrated that they were not adequately trained in the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs).
Following the lockdown, the use of ICTs in schools increased during the 2020-21 academic year. Teachers believe they have the resources, skills, and interest to implement technology in the classroom. However, other educators admit to having difficulties in using ICTs and have returned to traditional practices.
The majority of Spanish parents consider themselves highly digitally skilled. Their digital skills vary according to the families’ different socio-demographic characteristics. As a general rule, the higher the level of education and socio-economic status, the higher the level of digital skills, with the exception of creative skills.
The most successful mediation strategies among Spanish families are those related to communication with their children and safety, and promoting a better use of online opportunities (enabling). It is especially noteworthy that sharing activities (23%) and encouraging their children to discover and learn things on the Internet (27%) are the less frequently practiced enabling strategies by Spanish parents.
Very few parents (5%) consider that their younger children (ages 9-12) have suffered unpleasant episodes on the Internet (harm). However, among parents with older children (13-17 years), this percentage increases dramatically (51%).
Garmendia, M., Martínez, G. & Garitaonandia, C. (2022). Sharenting, parental mediation and privacy among Spanish children. European Journal of Communication, 36(2),1-16.
Garmendia, M., Martínez, G., Karrera, I., Larrañaga, N., Jiménez, E., Olveira, R., Basasoro, M. & Garitaonandia, C. (2021). Experiencias de los docentes de Educación Primaria en la alfabetización digital del alumnado. SIC-Spain 2.0. (UE) y Universidad del País Vasco (UPV/EHU). Bilbao (España). Executive summary in English
Garmendia, M., Martínez, G., Larrañaga, N., Jiménez, E., Karrera, I, Casado, M.A & Garitaonandia, C. (2020). Las madres y los padres en la convergencia mediática: competencias, mediación, oportunidades y riesgos online. Universidad del País Vasco (UPV/EHU). Bilbao (España). Project SIC-Spain and EU Kids Online IV.

Factsheet

Summary of findings

Safety Guide

Questionnaires

Spanish

Questionnaire for parent

Questionnaire for child

Self-completion questionnaire for child (Children age 9-10)

Self-completion questionnaire for child (Children age 11-16)

Catalan

Questionnaire for parent

Questionnaire for child

Self-completion questionnaire for child (Children age 9-10)

Self-completion questionnaire for child (Children age 11-16)

Ponte, C., Mascheroni, G., Batista, S., Garmendia, M., Martinez, G., & Cino, D. (2023). Children’s digital mediation: The family climate in Spain, Italy and Portugal. Observatorio (OBS*), 17(2). DOI: 10.15847/obsOBS17220

Garmendia, M., Martínez, G. & Garitaonandia, C. (2022). Sharenting, parental mediation and privacy among Spanish children. European Journal of Communication, 36(2),1-16.

Garmendia, M., Karrera, I., Larrañaga, N. & Garitaonandia, C. (2021). The role of school mediation in the development of digital skills among Spanish minors. Profesional de la información, 30(6), 1-12. In English/ Spanish

Garmendia, M., Martínez, G., & Garitaonandia, C. (2021). Sharenting, parental mediation and privacy among Spanish children. European Journal of Communication, 1-16.

Garmendia, M., Martínez, G., Karrera, I., Larrañaga, N., Jiménez, E., Olveira, R., Basasoro, M. & Garitaonandia, C. (2021). Experiencias de los docentes de Educación Primaria en la alfabetización digital del alumnado. SIC-Spain 2.0. (UE) y Universidad del País Vasco (UPV/EHU). Bilbao (España)

Garitaonandia, C., Karrera, I., Jiménez, E. & Larrañaga, N. (2020). Menores conectados y riesgos online: contenidos inadecuados, uso inapropiado de la información y uso excesivo de internet. El Profesional de la Información, 29 (4), 1-10.

Garmendia, M., Martínez, G., Larrañaga, N., Jiménez, E., Karrera, I., Casado, M.A, Garitaonandia, C., (2020). Las madres y los padres en la convergencia mediática: competencias, mediación, oportunidades y riesgos online. Universidad del País Vasco (UPV/EHU). Bilbao (España)

Martínez, G., Casado, M., & Garitaonandia, C., (2020). Online parental mediation strategies in family contexts of Spain. [Estrategias online de mediación parental en contextos familiares de España]. Comunicar, 65, 67-76.

Martínez, G., Garmendia, M., & Garitaonandia, C., (2020) La infancia y la adolescencia ante las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TICs): oportunidades, riesgos y daño [Children and adolescents and Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs): opportunities, risks and harm]. ZER. 25(48), 349-362.

Garmendia, M., Jimenez, E., Karrera, I., Larrañaga, N., Casado, M. A., Martinez, G. & Garitaonandia, C. (2019). Actividades, mediación, oportunidades y riesgos online de los menores en la era de la convergencia mediática. 2019. Editado por el Instituto Nacional de Ciberseguridad (INCIBE). León (España). Project EU Kids Online IV – University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU)

Garmendia, M., Jiménez, E., & Larrañaga, N. (2019). Bullying y ciberbullying: victimización, acoso y daño. Necesidad de intervenir en el entorno escolar. Revista española de pedagogía, 77(273), 295-311.

Garmendia, M, & Karrera, I. (2019). ICT use and digital inclusion among Roma/Gitano adolescents. Media and Communication, 7(1), 22-31.

Del Río, M.A; Garmendia, M. & Garitaonandia, C (2019) Internet y la infancia española con problemas de aprendizaje, de comportamiento y otras discapacidades. Revista Latina de Comunicación Social, 74, 653-667.

Casado, M. A., Garitaonandia, C. Moreno, G., Jimenez, E., & (2019). Immigrant children and the Internet in Spain: uses, opportunities, and risks. Media and Communication, 7(1), 56-65.

Garitaonandia, C., Karrera, I., Larrañaga, N. (2019). Media convergence, risk and harm to children online. Doxa Comunicación, 28, version preprint.

Casado, M.A, Garitaonandia, C., Jiménez, E., Garmendia, M., Karrera, I., Moreno, G. (2018). Los niños y niñas de la brecha digital en España. Madrid: Unicef Comité Español.

Garitaonandia, C. (2018). Smartphone Cultures (Review). Communication and Society, 366-367.

Jiménez, E., Garmendia y M., Casado, M.A. (coords) (2018). Entre selfies y whatsapps. Oportunidades y riesgos para la infancia y la adolescencia conectada. Barcelona: Editorial Gedisa.

Garmendia, M & Karrera, I. (2018). Sexting: qué sabemos y qué nos queda por aprender. En E. Jiménez, M. Garmendia y M.A Casado. (Eds) Entre sefies y whatsapps. Oportunidades y riesgos para la infancia y adolescencia conectada, 141-152.

Garmendia, M., Casado, M. A., Jiménez, E. & Garitaonandia, C. (2018) Oportunidades, riesgos, daño y habilidades digitales de los menores españoles. En E. Jiménez, M. Garmendia y M. A. Casado. (Eds.) Entre selfies y whatsapps. Oportunidades y riesgos para la infancia y adolescencia conectada, 31-54. Barcelona: Gedisa.

Martínez, G. & Casado, M.A. (2018). La responsabilidad de las madres y de los padres españoles como mediadores en el uso de Internet que hacen los menores: evolución y nuevos retos. En E. Jiménez, M. Garmendia y M. A. Casado. (Eds.) Entre selfies y whatsapps. Oportunidades y riesgos para la infancia y adolescencia conectada, 173-185. Barcelona: Gedisa.

Garmendia, M., Casado del Rio, M. A. & Jiménez, (2018) Adolescents and smartphones: coping with overload. En J. Vincent & L. Haddon (Eds.) Smartphone Cultures, 108-120. London: Routledge.

Maialen Garmendia (PhD) Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the Faculty of Education, Philosophy and Anthropology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). Her interests are in social research techniques, audience research and digital technologies and everyday life. Since 2006 she has been a member of the EU Kids Online network. She coordinated the Net children Go Mobile project in Spain.

Orcid ID: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7268-4286

maialen.garmendia@ehu.eus

Carmelo Garitaonandia is Professor of Journalism at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) and was its Vice-Chancellor from 2009 to 2017. PhD in Political Sciences and B.A. in Law and Master of Information and Audiovisual Communication (University of Paris VII). He has written numerous scientific articles and books on topics related to the history of communication, regional TV, digital TV and digital technologies and their influence on children and teenagers.

Estefanía Jiménez, (PhD) Lecturer in Media Studies at University of Basque Country (UPV/EHU). She has been visiting fellow at UAB (Barcelona), Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico) and University of Oxford. She has been member of EU Kids Online since 2012. She has published her works both in journals and divulgative publications and conferences. She has recently co-edited and published the book “Entre selfies y whatsapps. Oportunidades y riesgos para la infancia y la adolescencia conectada” (Gedisa, 2018), and collaborates with institutions related to childhood rights and cibersecurity such as Unicef and Red.es. She is also a regular contributor to the media.

Orcid ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8689-8485

estefania.jimenez@ehu.eus

Inaki Karrera; (PhD) Lecturer at the Faculty of Education, Philosophy and Anthropology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) in Donostia-San Sebastián. He has taken part in several research projects, at European (Socrates-Grundtvig 2010-1-FR1-GRU06-00253-1), country and local level. His research interests are related to Educational Inclusion and Innovation, digital divide and social inequalities.

Nekane Larrañaga (PhD) Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the Faculty of Education, Philosophy and Antropology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). Her research interest and topics are related to diversity, intercultural relations, interethnic relationships, values and school, bilingualism, identity, citizenship and acculturation. She has participated in several research projects.

Orcid ID: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8062-3544
nekane.larranaga@ehu.es

Gemma Martínez (PhD) has developed her doctoral thesis at the University of the Basque Country within the framework of the EU Kids Online project, focused on the topic of parental mediation. She has collaborated in different national and international projects. During her years of residence in London where she moved to do a research stay at the LSE, she combined her academic career with working in different schools in London with children with different special needs. Gemma has a passion for studying, working and learning about children´s development and collaborates actively with Spanish institutions, which promote a safer use of the new technologies.

Orcid ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6463-4238

xemaxedre@gmail.com

Maialen Garmendia

Faculty of Education, Philosophy, and Anthropology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU)

HEFA II, Plaza de Oñati 3, 20018, San Sebastián, Spain

Email: maialen.garmendia@ehu.eus