Better Internet for Kids

This report of the independent expert commission "Child and Youth Protection in the Digital World"  provides an empirical baseline analysis of age-specific risks, opportunities, and regulatory protections for young people navigating digital environments in Germany. Drafted by 18 interdisciplinary experts, the stocktaking document outlines how online platforms impact children’s physical, mental, and social well-being.

This report investigates the digital well-being of German adolescents, examining the psychological and social consequences of daily social media engagement. Findings highlight that while platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat foster community, entertainment, and identity expression, they also frequently trigger social comparison, distraction, reduced concentration, and guilt. Nearly half of respondents express envy toward previous generations who grew up without social media. Furthermore, youth demonstrate high exposure to harmful content, particularly fake news and hate speech.

The Jugend Internet Monitor 2026, published by Saferinternet.at, presents representative annual findings on social media usage among Austrian youth aged 11 to 17. 

This national assessment report evaluates the digital literacy competencies of primary and secondary school students across Romania. Using a standardised competency model, the study measures essential skill areas including information processing, digital content creation, online safety, communication, and problem-solving. The findings highlight significant disparities in digital proficiency, driven primarily by socioeconomic factors, rural-urban divisions, and unequal access to educational technology.

This report explores parents' and guardians' attitudes, concerns, and rules regarding the digital media consumption of children aged 0–18 in Sweden. Published by the Swedish Media Authority (Mediemyndigheten), the 2025 report examines parental perceptions of screen time, online safety risks, social media exposure, gaming habits, and age limits.

The Media Barometer is an annual survey of the Swedish population's access to, and use of, different types of media. The survey has been conducted since 1979, making the Media Barometer the oldest continuous study of its kind in the world. The results of the 2025 survey are based on responses from around 6,000 randomly selected people aged 9 to 85. This report shows that overall media consumption in Sweden in 2025 decreased for some media, while others remained at the same high levels as in recent years.

This report presents the first comprehensive, in-depth evaluation of the digital lives and psychological well-being of young people in Malta. Commissioned by the Office of the Commissioner for Children in collaboration with the Faculty for Social Wellbeing (University of Malta) and the Ministry for Social Policy and Children's Rights, the study surveyed approximately 2,000 children aged 7 to 15 across Malta and Gozo. 89% of children access the internet daily. Daily use scales steeply with age, moving from 76.5% among 7–10-year-olds to 97.1% among 13–15-year-olds.

This series of debriefing report from Project MIMIc synthesises key empirical findings from an international multi-method research initiative examining how adolescents (ages 12–18) in Belgium, Slovenia, and France interact with digital and mass media. 

This report by Save the Children Finland (Pelastakaa Lapset) investigates online sexual violence and peer-to-peer sexting among children aged 11–17 in Finland. Findings show that over a quarter of young people have received sexts, and one in five children, including one in three girls, has experienced online sexual abuse by adults, with contact often being sexualised within an hour. While young people hold mixed views on consensual peer sexting, unwanted explicit content and unsolicited adult approaches remain pervasive.

This report presents the national findings for Croatia from the international EU Kids Online research network.