Better Internet for Kids

Against the backdrop of ongoing EU policy work to safeguard and promote children’s rights in the digital world, the #DigitalDecade4YOUth consultation presents outcomes from comprehensive consultations with children, young people, parents, and educators from EU countries and beyond. The report provides insights from more than 750 children and young people, while the Better Internet for Kids MOOC for teachers reached more than 300 teachers and educators. In addition, EU citizens (including parents) responded to an online survey. Across the different consultation groups, general concerns were raised about the lack of awareness among internet users (including not only children and young people, but also parents and other adults) about online risks and potential mitigation measures. Several consultation groups highlighted their concern specifically for younger children, who may be less experienced and more vulnerable. The respondents agreed that the environment a person lives in is very important, with an essential role to be played by parents.  The report was coordinated by the European Schoolnet on behalf of the European Commission in the context of the Better Internet for Kids (BIK).
(Source: Report).

This report presents findings from a cross-European #DigitalDecade4YOUth consultation exercise coordinated by European Schoolnet – on behalf of the European Commission – as part of the www.betterinternetforkids.eu initiative. Over 70 consultation sessions were carried out with support from the Insafe network of European Safer Internet Centres and a wider range of schools and European online safety and child rights organisations. More than 750 children and young people across Europe were heard in a structured and systematic way.  While the majority of groups consulted were adolescents (age 12-18), 21 out of 71 consultation groups primarily consisted of children under 12, with the youngest respondent being 5 years old. The methodology for consultation sessions was child-centred and rights-based and has been informed by a variety of existing benchmarks for meaningful child participation.

European Commission, Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology, How to make Europe’s Digital Decade fit for children and young people? – A report from the consultation with children and young people, Publications Office of the European Union, 2022, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2759/096742