46% of schoolchildren spend savings on Internet - study

MANILA, Philippines - The Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication (AIJC) urged the government to provide computers with Internet access to all public schools after a recent study showed that 46 percent of schoolchildren in the country spend P300 a month for Internet rentals.

An AIJC study conducted from February to April 2009 revealed that 46 percent of the students spend more than P300 for Internet use every month.

The survey, entitled, “Internet Access and Use by Filipino Schoolchildren,” was funded by the United Nations Children’s Fund.

The respondents of the survey were schoolchildren with ages ranging from 10 to 17 years old who are enrolled in both public and private elementary and high schools in Metro Manila and selected cities and municipalities in Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.

The study found that the students in the Visayas and Metro Manila have greater Internet access than their counterparts in the Cordilleras and Mindanao.

“Internet cafés provide the venue for bridging the digital divide, as eight out of 10 Internet users go online in Internet cafés,” the AIJC study said.

“Grade-schoolers access the Internet more at home than in Internet cafés probably because the former may be perceived by parents and guardians as safer and more secure,” it added.

Maintaining and visiting social networking sites (SNS) is emerging as the number one online activity.

Almost nine of 10 students who connect on the Internet are members of Friendster, the institute said.

Online gaming is another favorite hobby with almost eight out of 10 students playing online games. There are more grade school pupils than high school students who play online.

Three out of five children also go online to chat with friends and relatives.

The incidence of chatting online is highest in Metro Manila and lowest in Mindanao.

Private school students chat more than their counterparts from public schools.