Cyberspace – Threats to Young People and the Family

Cyberspace is an important communication area that can be considered both from the perspective of external and internal (family) communication. One can also look at this space of communication from the perspective of threats and opportunities for the family and young people. The article was based on non-reactive research techniques, mainly on the analysis of existing data. The author, based on the literature on the subject and the results of nationwide research on the use of the Internet by young people (“Teenagers 3.0,” 2021; “Teenagers 3.0,” 2023, “Teenagers towards digital pornography,” 2022 reports. NASK-PIB), raises the issue of threats related to cyberspace in the context of family and family communication. The author also pays attention to the features of virtual communities, presents communication threats related to young people’s entry into the world of the Internet and cyberspace, and points to the challenges that modern families come up against in the face of these threats. The presented research results indicate many discrepancies in how parents and children perceive the rules regarding the use of the Internet and the threats related to cyberspace. In a situation where there is no open communication in the sphere of family communication, problems resulting from young people using the Internet inappropriately are hidden in silence. This poses an important challenge for modern families.