Privacy a Top Concern for Children

With social media comes super connectedness but the blowback is a lack of privacy and Australian students are becoming increasingly aware of online privacy and security’s importance.

In identifying the Oxford Australian 2022 Children’s Word of the Year (CWOTY), children’s language experts analysed more than 87,117 short stories and over 7.5 million words written by Australian students aged seven to 13 years old as part of Storyathon, the online story-writing event for students. Shortlisted words included ‘impact’, ‘information’, ‘opinion’, ‘pollution’, ‘privacy’ and ‘risk’.

Overall, there was a strong trend towards words associated with the internet, data protection and online behaviour this year. Words such as, ‘information’, ‘privacy’ and ‘risk’ all experienced a significant uptake from students compared to the previous year. ‘Personal information’ and ‘online information’ were also common phrases that featured in the body of writing.

Anne Bayetto, Literacy expert at Flinders University, highlighted the usage of the word ‘privacy’ had increased by 397 per cent compared to 2021.

She explains the increased awareness of online activity is likely due to students’ having highly connected worlds, following two years of online learning and virtual socialising as a consequence of the pandemic.

"Students are recognising some of the risks of the internet and the importance of protecting their privacy and ensuring that their personal information is safe. As we continue to live with COVID-19 among other unfolding global crises, students are becoming acutely aware of the risks around them. It could be that they are considering risks more often in their lives and how they can protect themselves from these risks.”

“Ethical issues are also raised, with students sympathising with celebrities that have their privacy invaded on a daily basis and have to endure life in the spotlight,” says Ms Bayetto.

The need to unplug and take some time away was also important with students describing the need for a private space, such as a bedroom or dedicated area where they can unwind.

“Students are reflecting on the value of alone time in their rooms, and the need to balance socialisation time with rest and space. They feel it’s really important to have some time out and recharge,” says Ms Bayetto.

Other themes that emerged within the large body of writing included a strong concern for the environment, with concepts like carbon dioxide and pollution featuring strongly in this year’s writing as students call for action on climate change and conservation.

“Students discussed pollution in a variety of contexts, especially around air pollution and emissions, as well as the consequences of pollution for our environment. They examined causes of pollution and ways to reduce it and these themes were also reflected in the frequent usage of related words, like ‘carbon’, ‘CO2’, ‘climate,’ ‘sustainability’, and ‘responsibility,” says Ms Bayetto.

“Following a year of disasters across the country, students are thinking about the importance of preventing and reducing pollution. Issues such as plastic waste, climate change, ocean pollution and air pollution are weighing heavily on the minds of students.”

Interestingly, some students imagined dystopian futures, while others imagined utopian pollution-free alternative futures.

Use of the word ‘should’ increased by 85 per cent as students reflected on their rights and responsibilities, and the impact of their choices on each other and the world around them.

Lee Walker, Director of Publishing at Oxford University Press, spoke about the Australian Children’s Word of the Year research saying, “Through our analysis it seems that some students are struggling to adjust to their new, highly connected world following the pandemic. So much of our lives are now conducted online and students are no different. As a result, students appear to wrestle with how the internet can provide connection during times of isolation but also pose significant risks to them if it is abused.

The words collected as part of Australian Children’s Word of the Year have been added to the Oxford Australian Children’s language Corpus – a collection of texts which records the development of children’s linguistics over time and informs Oxford University Press’s research and assessment of children’s language trends.

For more information about the Oxford Australian Children’s Word of the Year, visit oup.com.au/cwoty

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