Culture

What 17% of kids are searching for online will surprise you

Published

6 years ago

June 21, 2018

A recent investigation has turned up an interesting finding on what kids are searching for online. Africa, with South Africa as focus, was part of the survey conducted by Kaspersky Lab.

The latest report on the online activities of children also highlights the importance of protecting them when online.

For example, video content globally, comprised 17 percent of searches over the last months. Although many videos watched as a result of these searches may be harmless, it is still possible for children to accidentally end up watching videos that contain inappropriate content.

The report shows anonymised statistics from Kaspersky Lab’s flagship consumer solutions for Windows PCs and Macs that have the Parental Control module switched on and from Kaspersky Safe Kids, a standalone service for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android devices.

For example, the report presents search results on the ten most-popular languages* for the last 6 months. The data shows that the video & audio category – including requests related to any video content, streaming services, video bloggers, series and movies – are the most regularly ‘googled’ by children (17 percent of the total requests).

The second and third places go to translation (14 percent) and communication (10 percent) websites respectively. Interestingly, games websites sit in fourth place, generating only nine percent of the total search requests.

We can also see a clear language difference for search requests: for example, video and music websites are typically searched for in English, which can be explained by the fact that the majority of movies, TV series and musical groups have English names.

Spanish-speaking kids carry out more requests for translation sites, while communication services are mostly searched for in Russian.

More than any other nationality, Chinese-speaking children look for education services, while French-speaking kids are more interested in sport and games websites.

In turn, German-speaking requests dominate in the “shopping” category. The leading number of search requests for porn are in Arabic, and for anime are in Japanese.

“Kids in different countries have different interests and online behaviors, but what links them all is their need to be protected online from potentially harmful content. Children looking for animated content could accidentally open a porn video. Or they could start searching for innocent videos and unintentionally end up on websites containing violent content, both of which could have a long-term impact on their impressionable and vulnerable minds,” says Anna Larkina, Web-content Analysis Expert at Kaspersky Lab.

The second most popular category of websites visited in South Africa by these users is software, audio, and video. In South Africa, this category accounted for 17 percent.

Websites with this content have become significantly more popular since last year, when it was only the fifth most popular category globally at six percent. The top four is rounded off with electronic commerce (4.2 percent) and alcohol, tobacco, and websites about narcotics (3.9 percent), which is a new addition compared to this time last year.

The mobile trend is again highlighted in the figures for computer games, which are now in fifth place locally on the list at three percent. As kids continue to show a preference for mobile games rather than computer games, this category will only continue to decrease in popularity on computers over the coming months and years.

Click to comment

Culture

Algeria accuses renowned Singer Cheb Khaled of spying for Morocco

Published

1 day ago

October 21, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Algerian authorities have accused renowned musician, singer and songwriter, Cheb Khaled, of spying for neighbours Morocco as another wave of hostilities brew between the two countries.

Founder of Algerian news outlet, Algeria Par, Al Abdou Semmar, disclosed on his YouTube channel that the military court in Blida, Algeria, hd reportedly forwarded a dossier to the court of Bir Mourad Rais in Algiers, containing serious allegations against the famous artist.

“Cheb Khaled has been friends with Moroccan monarch Mohammed VI for several years,” the journalist said, claiming that Algerian judicial authorities seek to charge Khaled in an alleged espionage case for Morocco.

Semmar further claimed investigations by his news channel has revealed that the singer is suspected and accused of complicity in espionage activities with the Bennacer brothers.

“This refers to the brothers Toufik and Boualem Bennacer, sons of the later General Larbi Bennacer,” the journalist said.

He added that Khaled also faces accusations of “transmitting sensitive information classified as ‘defense secret’ in Algeria to Moroccan authorities.”

“Based in Luxembourg, Cheb Khaled is now wanted by Algerian justice, which wishes to hear him, charge him, and put him on trial,” the journalist said.

He explained that such claims and accusations have come amid the Algerian regime’s hostility towards any party with close ties with Morocco.

“This is not the first time Algeria has arrested individuals and accused them of espionage for Morocco. The latest arrests took place earlier this week in Oran and Sidi Bel Abbès, and involved two Moroccan nationals,’ he said.

Khaled has close ties with Morocco, having performed numerous times in the North African country, where he has millions of Moroccan fans and frequently shares statements expressing his love and passion for Morocco,, referring to it as his second country.

In 2013, he obtained Moroccan citizenship under a royal decree, an act that has repeatedly put him at the heart of controversies among those sharing hostility towards Morocco.

Culture

Tyla shines again as Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show stages comeback

Published

4 days ago

October 19, 2024

Isaac Dachen

South Africa’s Grammy Award-winning music star, Tyla, has continued to shine on the international scene following another scintillating performance at the Victoria Secret’s Fashion Show first comeback show after a six-year hiatus.

The show, which was held at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York, featured Tyla performing alongside Cher and Lisa from Blackpink. The “Water” crooner stole the show in a dazzling silver and gold lingerie ensemble, complemented with white feathered wings.

A post on the Victoria Secret’s Fashion Show website said when she was announced to perform at the show, Tyla explained she had always been captivated by the show and was excited to be performing at the show.

“Now, I’m thrilled to be performing on this nostalgic and legendary stage. What’s even more exciting is the celebration of diversity, showcasing a broader range of beauty, which makes this moment truly special,” she had reportedly said.

Fondly called the “Pride of Joburg” and the “Goddess of Water”, she explained she did not hesitate for a second to perform and was honoured that she was considered to do so.

Tyla also shone at the pre-show event as she stunned in a pink dress while speaking to the media beforehand.

In what proved to be a standout moment for all South Africans, legendary supermodel, Candice Swanepoel, joined Tyla during her performance as she made a return to the runway alongside other global supermodels such as Adriana Lima and Gigi Hadid.