This is a pivotal year for children’s online safety and human rights. One important reason is the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child’s call for public comments to help it develop the first General Comment on the digital part of fulfilling children’s human rights. Those rights are extensive. There are 54 articles in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, falling into 3 categories labeled … [Read more...] about Digital youth: Honor ALL their rights
Sonia Livingstone
Safer Internet Day 2019: Risk vs harm, online & offline
What better way to mark Safer Internet Day than with clarity on the difference between risk and harm? Because, where online safety's concerned, the two words have been used interchangeably – inaccurately – for years. It was EU Kids Online, after surveys of more than 25,000 9-16 year-olds across Europe, that first made the distinction, reporting that, "as with riding a bike or crossing the road, … [Read more...] about Safer Internet Day 2019: Risk vs harm, online & offline
Digital safety, wellbeing: 2018 highlights (Part 1)
This may not be the Internet safety look-back on 2018 you’d expect, what with all the news about data breaches, “fake news,” “tech addiction,” algorithmic bias, election manipulation, hate speech, etc., etc. Not a pretty picture. But it’s also not the whole picture. By definition, the news reports airline crashes, not safe landings. Even if 2018 was truly unique, though, with bad news the … [Read more...] about Digital safety, wellbeing: 2018 highlights (Part 1)
How youth address mental health issues: Groundbreaking study
Young people are both smart and thoughtful about using digital media and devices – for mental health and other purposes – a groundbreaking new study shows, and they are far from naïve about what doesn't work for them in social media. The study, by researchers Victoria Rideout and Susannah Fox, had both quantitative and qualitative elements, including a remarkable 2,200 personal responses from its … [Read more...] about How youth address mental health issues: Groundbreaking study
Signs of serious progress for digital citizenship
THIS JUST IN: In a historic development for the Internet and its users under 18, the Council of Europe today adopted a Recommendation – a comprehensive set of guidelines to European Union member states – for upholding children's rights in digital environments, their rights as digital citizens. "How to better protect and empower children as rights-holders... is at the core of the new … [Read more...] about Signs of serious progress for digital citizenship