Children of the Net: An Empirical Exploration Into the Evaluation of Internet Content

During a typical online search, users are faced with literally thousands of information sources as well as unsolicited information such as advertising. Judging the legitimacy of information presented and focusing on needed content can be difficult for children. Thus, the current study examines how children evaluate information online. Manipulating the presence of a source, advertising, and dynamism to understand information recall and credibility perceptions, this project initiates a needed research agenda aimed at children and their Internet experiences. Results demonstrate that content such as source, advertising, and dynamism do influence credibility perceptions and recall.