A/68/274 62. These various concerns were given special attention in the field visits conducted by the Special Representative and will continue to be addressed in 2014. 4. Opportunities and risks associated with the use of new information and communications technologies 63. Information and communications technologies have developed at an increasingly rapid rate over the past two decades. They have brought with them enormous benefits and opportunities in terms of education, socialization and entertainment. Children and adolescents master these new technologies with ease and expertise, exploring opportunities for accessing information. Such technologies support decision-making, promote creativity and innovation and enhance social networks. 64. Yet, these technologies also generate new risks and can become a tool with which to perpetrate violence. Indeed, harmful information becomes available more easily and may also be spread more quickly, potentially reaching out to millions in a fraction of a second and remaining in cyberspace for a lifetime. As a result, children may be at risk of abuse, bullying, harassment and exploitation in ways that are often difficult to detect and address, including by parents, caregivers, teachers and others (see box IV). Box IV EU Kids Online:a In their own words: what bothers children online? According to EU Kids Online research released in 2013, pornography (22 per cent) and violent content (18 per cent) top children’s online concerns. Children reveal shock, fear and disgust on seeing cruelty, killings and abuse; since much is real rather than fictional violence, this adds to the depth of children’s reaction. Boys appear more bothered by violent content, including violence, aggression and gory content, while girls fear more contact-related risks. While younger children are more concerned about violent content, concerns about bullying and unwanted sharing of information, images or photos increase with age, and they are linked in children’s minds to the use of social networking sites. a EU Kids Online is a thematic network that promotes research on understanding children’s online experiences. See http://www.lse.ac.uk/media@lse/research/ EUKidsOnline/EU%20Kids%20III/Reports/Intheirownwords020213.pdf. 65. In order to build on the growing body of knowledge and experience, and to accelerate progress in ensuring children’s online protection from violence, over the next several months, the Special Representative will organize with strategic partners a consultation on information and communications technology and children’s protection from violence. The consultation will provide a strategic platform for learning from and building upon initiatives undertaken by national Governments, United Nations organizations, international and regional organizations, academia, independent children’s rights institutions, the private sector and civil society organizations, including children and young people. 16/26 13-41970