Talking About Digital Responsibility: Children’s and Young People’s Voices (original) (raw)
Related papers
Investigating Risks and Opportunities for Children in a Digital World
Innocenti Discussion Papers, 2021
Children's lives are increasingly mediated by digital technologies, yet our knowledge of how this affects their well-being is far from comprehensive. We know, for example, that the online environment exposes children to new ideas and more diverse sources of information. The use of digital technologies can expand their opportunities, reduce inequalities and contribute to the realization of children's rights. We also know that when children seek information online and want to learn, they risk being exposed to inappropriate or potentially harmful content. Yet, when it comes to determining the long-term effects of internet use and online experiences on children's well-being, mental health or resilience, the best we can do is make an educated guess. This is just one evidence gap among many that need to be filled in order that society can support children's positive use of digital technologies, develop children's skills and protect those who are vulnerable. Filling these gaps would benefit children. Their education, relationships, entertainment, and participation in a connected world increasingly depend on digital technologies. Filling these gaps would also help to guide policy and programme responses and maximize the potential of technological advancements. Our need for this knowledge has become even more acute as internet use rises during the global COVID-19 pandemic. This report identifies, evaluates and synthesizes what has been learned from the most recent research about children's experiences and outcomes relating to the internet and digital technologies. It aims to inform policymakers, educators, child protection specialists, industry and parents on the latest and best evidence, and it proposes a future research agenda.
Children's rights in the digital age: a download from children around the world
2014
A growing body of evidence from across the world is also telling us that no matter where they are from, more and more children are relying on digital tools, platforms and services to learn, engage, participate, play, innovate, work or socialise. There are already countless examples of how-when harnessed appropriately-digital tools can help promote human development, by closing gaps in access to information, speeding up service delivery, supporting educational and health outcomes, and creating new entrepreneurship opportunities. The power of technology to jump across borders and time zones, to join the once disparate, and to foster social connectedness, has provided the means for the children and young people of today to participate in a global society in ways previously not possible. Sadly, there are also new or evolving risks-exposure to violence; access to inappropriate content, goods and services; concerns about excessive use; and issues of data protection and privacy. As it becomes increasingly difficult to draw the line between offline and online, it is necessary for us to examine how this changing environment impacts the wellbeing and development of children and their rights. Ensuring that all children are safe online requires approaches that promote digital literacy, resilience and cyber-savvy. It is only in partnership that we can reach consensus on how to create a safe, open, accessible, affordable and secure digital world. Critically, children and young people's profound insight must help inform, shape and drive this goal-which needs to focus on equity of access, safety for all, digital literacy across generations, identity and privacy, participation and civic engagement. In April of this year, the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University and UNICEF co-hosted, in collaboration with PEW Internet, EU Kids Online, the Internet Society (ISOC), Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI), and YouthPolicy.org, a first of its kind international 'Digitally Connected' symposium on children, youth, and digital media. The symposium sought to map and explore the global state of research and practice in this field, and to facilitate sharing, discussion and collaboration among the 150 academics, practitioners, young people, activists, philanthropists, government officials, and representatives of technology companies from around the world.
Multi-dimensional Challenges Facing Digital Youth and their Consequences
The Internet continues to be a dynamic and incredibly powerful source of information with almost limitless capabilities for improving access to knowledge and connecting people around the world. It is also seen as a solution to addressing many social development issues by providing access to healthcare, remote learning opportunities, access to egovernment services and innovative and higher paying jobs. With advancements in ICTs resulting in the transformation of the technological, economic, social, political, cultural, and educational realms, the world is fast becoming the proverbial 'global village'. The children and youth who are the major beneficiaries of this technology boom, who are the subject of this paper, are referred to as 'young digital citizens'. The emergence and widespread adoption of ICTs has greatly influenced the lifestyles of these young digital citizens, given the plethora of information on the Internet to which they have access. While the cyber world acts as a great resource on one side, it also has a sinister aspect, to which vulnerable and trusting digital youth can be subjected, both intentionally and unintentionally. The impact of the Internet can be extrapolated into four main aspects, namely: social, physical, psychological and moral (including ethical and religious). It is the aim of this paper to discuss the impact of these potential threats and the challenge they present to society and governments in creating a safe and secure environment.
Rethinking responses to children and young people's online lives
2011
This brief discussion paper shares preliminary work to develop a practical framework for thinking about rights-respecting advocacy, policy and practice responses to support and empower children and young people in their daily encounters with the Internet and other networked digital technologies. Contemporary public service policy and practice responses to the role of the Internet in young people's lives focus disproportionately on strategies involving web blocking and filtering, restriction of access to online spaces, and safety messaging highlighting what young people should not do online. We argue that such strategies can be both counterproductive, and lead to a neglect of the role of public services in promoting young people's digital literacy and skills.
This brief discussion paper shares preliminary work to develop a practical framework for thinking about rights-respecting advocacy, policy and practice responses to support and empower children and young people in their daily encounters with the Internet and other networked digital technologies. Contemporary public service policy and practice responses to the role of the Internet in young people's lives focus disproportionately on strategies involving web blocking and filtering, restriction of access to online spaces, and safety messaging highlighting what young people should not do online. We argue that such strategies can be both counterproductive, and lead to a neglect of the role of public services in promoting young people's digital literacy and skills. Whilst the EU Kids Online program has highlighted that " safety initiatives to reduce risk tend also reduce opportunities " (De Haan & Livingstone, 2009), alternative strategies are needed that help professionals working with young people to move beyond a conceptual model in which the 'risks' and 'opportunities' of digital technologies are set up in opposition. In exploring how to respond to the online lives of children and young people, safety must sit alongside, and be integrated with, a broader range of considerations, including promoting positive uptake of online opportunities, promoting skills relevant to a digital economy, and encouraging the development of accessible, democratic online spaces in which rights to both play and participation, amongst others, can be realized. We suggest that the common classification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into Provision, Protection and Participation rights (Cantwell, 1993) can provide the basis for such strategies, in which the protection of children and young people, the provision of appropriate services, spaces and support, and
UK children go online: Emerging opportunities and dangers
London: London School of Economics …, 2005
Exploring nature and meaning of children's internet use Mapping emerging patterns of attitudes and practices across diverse contexts and social groups Summary: Many households with children now have domestic internet access. Early research shows that parents hope to improve their children's educational prospects but are concerned about online dangers. Further, parents are unsure how to guide their children towards creative or valuable sites; although children are enthusiastically using the internet they too are unsure how to get the best out of the internet or how to avoid problems.
The Digital World of Young Children
Crayons and iPads: Learning and Teaching of Young Children in the Digital World
Digital technologies are prevalent within western society, with 'smart' mobile use among young children escalating (e.g., tablets, iPads, smartphones). The anywhere/anytime access to the Internet, the convenient size and portability and relative inexpensiveness of smart mobile technologies make these devices extremely attractive within educational contexts. A recent report by Ofcom (2013) in the United Kingdom reported 'use of a tablet computer at home had tripled among 5-15s since 2012 (42% versus 14%) while one-quarter (28%) of 3-4s use a tablet computer at home' (p. 5). In addition, tablet computers are widely used in many educational classrooms, with rates reported as high as 70% among primary and secondary schools in the United Kingdom (Coughlan, 2014) and more than half of American early childhood educators having access to tablets in the classroom (a twofold increase since 2012) (Blackwell, Wartella, Lauricella & Robb, 2015). In Canada, a similar pattern has emerged with universal access to the Internet through portable devices by children 9-16 years of age (MediaSmarts, 2014). Seemingly, young children's play activities are impacted by this greater use of and access to mobile devices (e.g., streaming videos to tablets) (Edwards, 2013a; Moses, 2012). Attendant with this prevalence are the 'cautionary' tales of the potential negative impact of technology on young children. When writing this introduction, a quick Internet search revealed several featured articles that included concerns related to the unsafe nature of iPads (throughout the book, we will use the terms iPads and tablet interchangeably) and an emphasis on the detrimental effects of tablets on child development.