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Youth Downloading Drops, ``Fear of Viruses and Spyware'' Edge Out ``Fear of Parents'' Among Youth's Reasons for Saying ``No,'' Reports New Study; A New Kid Website -- Www.Cybertreehouse.Com -- Launches

Posted on: Monday, 10 April 2006, 09:00 CDT

The results of a recent nationwide survey released by the Business Software Alliance (BSA) show that the amount of illegal downloading by youth (ages 8 to 18) has dropped by 17 percent in the last two years. In 2004, 60 percent of survey participants reported illegally downloading either software, music, movies or games, while in 2006 the percentage who illegally downloaded dropped to 43 percent. The factors motivating the decrease show that they are heeding alerts to the potential threats of illegal downloading.

When survey participants were asked what worries them about downloading software, music, movies or games from the Internet without paying, the top responses given were fear of downloading a computer virus (63 percent), downloading spyware (52 percent) and getting in trouble with the law (49 percent). Fear of getting in trouble with parents ranked fourth with youth (40 percent).

"This study indicates that kids understand the consequences of illegal downloading, and that education and awareness about the risks, as well as online sites to legally download content have been a critical component in affecting these behaviors," says Diane Smiroldo, vice president of public affairs for BSA. "But still far too many young people are acting inappropriately online."

Comparing the new study results prepared by Harris Interactive with those from a survey Harris conducted for BSA in 2004 also shows the following:

-- In 2004, 22 percent of kids reported they illegally downloaded software without paying for it while 14 percent in 2006 admitting to doing so.

-- In 2004, 53 percent of youth admitted to illegally downloading music, while in the 2006 study 32 percent report doing so.

-- In 2004, 32 percent of kids reported they illegally downloaded games versus 25 percent in 2006.

-- 17 percent admitted to illegally downloading movies in 2004, whereas just 10 percent admitted to doing so in 2006.

In surveying adults about what they believe kids think, they correctly responded that kids worry most about getting a virus. But, adults believe getting in trouble with parents (52 percent) is a greater concern with kids than the youth responded (40 percent).

"Kids probably assume that whatever punishment they will receive from their parents will be far less unpleasant than either getting a computer virus or getting in trouble with the law," said Dr. Laurence Steinberg, psychology professor at Temple University and author of "You and Your Adolescent.""This suggests that one thing parents might do with their kids is stress the possible legal consequences and virus problems."

BSA Launches New Cyber Tree House Website

BSA also today launched a new website, www.cybertreehouse.com, designed exclusively for young people to learn about appropriate computer usage in a fun and informative way. The site includes Garret the Ferret, BSA's cyber-champion mascot, leading kids through games and activities that illustrate smart cyber behavior.

"While we are heartened by the results of this new study, parents and educators must remain vigilant in teaching kids appropriate computer usage. The study's results show that as kids grow older, they begin to view cyberspace as a virtual 'wild, wild west'," adds BSA's Smiroldo. "The new cyber treehouse website delivers the message -- in a fun way -- that obeying the law online is as important as obeying the law offline."

Additional 2006 report findings:

-- Unpaid software and movie downloads don't start until the teen years.

-- There is no difference in reported unpaid downloads of games by age, suggesting that games are one reason that 8 to 9 year olds go online.

-- Interest in downloading music starts in the 10 to 12 age range and increases exponentially to at least age 18.

-- No differences by gender were reported around downloading habits until youth reach the 16 to 18 age range. At this age, boys (51 percent) and girls (53 percent) are equally as likely to have downloaded music without paying for it. But, boys ages 16 to 18 are significantly more likely than are girls in that age range to have downloaded without paying for games (33 percent boys 16 to18 years old, 19 percent of girls in this age group) and at least twice as likely to have illegally downloaded software (32 percent boys, 16 percent girls) and movies (29 percent boys, 13 percent girls).

For the BSA-Harris survey results fact sheet, please visit www.bsa.org/usa/research/upload/Youth-Downloading-Fact-Sheet.pdf

BSA Offers Free Resources

BSA provides a myriad of resources to help parents, teachers and guardians talk with young people about ethical and legal computer behavior in addition to www.cybertreehouse.com.

BSA's website, www.playitcybersafe.com, offers BSA's first cyber ethics curriculum, "Play It Safe in Cyberspace." The curriculum is widely used by parents and teachers to assist in conversations with elementary and middle school-age children about responsible cyber behavior. Since its initial distribution in 2002, the "Play It Safe in Cyberspace" curriculum has reached more than 13 million kids, parents and teachers.

Other free resources from BSA available for teachers and parents include a four-page comic book curriculum and teacher's guide also available on www.playitcybersafe.com. The comic book curriculum, "Copyright Crusader to the Rescue," and a teacher's guide were mailed nationwide to 30,000 fourth grade teachers. As a result, more than one million kids and two million parents and guardians have utilized the curriculum.

Survey Methodology: Harris Interactive(R) conducted this online survey in the United States on behalf of the Business Software Alliance. The findings are based on a survey of 1,644 youths 8 to18 years old conducted February 15 to 20, 2006 and a survey of 2,036 adults 21 years of age and older completed February 14 to 16, 2006. Both studies were conducted online using the Harris Poll Online Panel.

In theory, with probability samples of this size, one could say with 95 percent certainty that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 2.4 percentage points. This online sample is not a probability sample.

About the Business Software Alliance

The Business Software Alliance (www.bsa.org) is the foremost organization dedicated to promoting a safe and legal digital world. BSA is the voice of the world's commercial software industry and its hardware partners before governments and in the international marketplace. Its members represent one of the fastest growing industries in the world. BSA programs foster technology innovation through education and policy initiatives that promote copyright protection, cyber security, trade and e-commerce. BSA members include Adobe, Apple, Autodesk, Avid, Bentley Systems, Borland, Cadence Design Systems, Cisco Systems, CNC Software/Mastercam, Dell, Entrust, HP, IBM, Intel, Internet Security Systems, Macromedia, McAfee, Microsoft, PTC, RSA Security, SAP, SolidWorks, Sybase, Symantec, Synopsys, The MathWorks, and UGS.

About Harris Interactive(R)

Harris Interactive Inc. (www.harrisinteractive.com), based in Rochester, New York, is the 13th largest and the fastest-growing market research firm in the world, most widely known for The Harris Poll(R) and for its pioneering leadership in the online market research industry. Long recognized by its clients for delivering insights that enable confident business decisions, the Company blends the science of innovative research with the art of strategic consulting to deliver knowledge that leads to measurable and enduring value.

Harris Interactive serves clients worldwide through its United States, Europe (www.harrisinteractive.com/europe) and Asia offices, its wholly-owned subsidiary Novatris in Paris, France (www.novatris.com), and through an independent global network of affiliate market research companies.

Source: Business Wire

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