Digital inclusion in the face of social semi-exclusion: adapting the EU Kids Online questionnaire

Ponte, C., José Alberto Simões, Ana Jorge (2011). Digital inclusion in the face of social semi-exclusion: adapting the EU Kids Online questionnaire. IAMCR conference 2011: "Cities, Creativity, Connectivity". 13-17 July.

AUDIENCES - Digital inclusion in the face of semi-exclusion.pdf

Abstract: Translating questionnaires for children (9-16) and parents conceived in English to 19 languages, while ensuring that the questions had the same meaning in 25 countries, was a challenge for the EU Kids Online survey that allowed comparing online experiences of children and young people across Europe and parents’ views on them (see www.eukidsonline.net ). Based on our dual experience in the EU Kids Online network and in the project Digital Inclusion and Participation” (UTAustin|Portugal Program, see http://digital_inclusion.up.pt ), which is focused on disadvantaged social groups, we adapted the Portuguese version of children’s face to face questionnaire to interview deprived children. Therefore, a selected group of questions on access, frequency, activities, skills and mediations were asked to children and young people (9-16) that access the internet at Digital Inclusion Centres, which are part of a public policy program for social inclusion. This paper discusses the issue of deprived children and the media, presents the challenges faced by the adaptation of questions and characterizes their family composition and internet access.