The RITEC (Responsible Innovation in Technology for Children) project was co-founded by UNICEF and the LEGO Group and is funded by the LEGO Foundation. The project is being delivered in partnership with the Joan Ganz Cooney Centre, the Young & Resilient Research Centre at Western Sydney University; the CREATE Lab at New York University; the Graduate Center, City University of New York; the University of Sheffield and the Australian Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child.
Children are spending more time in digital spaces than ever before, using a range of mobile apps, social media platforms, connected devices and online games from ever earlier ages. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has intensi ed this shift, rapidly moving additional aspects of children’s daily lives online (UNICEF, 2020). The growing presence of digital technology in children’s lives requires that we think deeply about its impact. It also demands we consider how we shape that impact best to equip and empower children for success well into their adult years.
Methodology
The report uses a mixed‑methods, child‑centred research design combining literature review, empirical case studies, and participatory research with children. It integrates qualitative insights from interviews, workshops, and observational studies on children’s digital play with quantitative evidence from existing datasets on digital use and well‑being. The methodology is grounded in the RITEC framework.
Citation
Responsible Innovation in Technology for Children. UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti, Florence, 2022.
Record created:
15 September 2026
The RITEC (Responsible Innovation in Technology for Children) project was co-founded by UNICEF and the LEGO Group and is funded by the LEGO Foundation. The project is being delivered in partnership with the Joan Ganz Cooney Centre, the Young & Resilient Research Centre at Western Sydney University; the CREATE Lab at New York University; the Graduate Center, City University of New York; the University of Sheffield and the Australian Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child.
Children are spending more time in digital spaces than ever before, using a range of mobile apps, social media platforms, connected devices and online games from ever earlier ages. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has intensi ed this shift, rapidly moving additional aspects of children’s daily lives online (UNICEF, 2020). The growing presence of digital technology in children’s lives requires that we think deeply about its impact. It also demands we consider how we shape that impact best to equip and empower children for success well into their adult years.
Methodology
The report uses a mixed‑methods, child‑centred research design combining literature review, empirical case studies, and participatory research with children. It integrates qualitative insights from interviews, workshops, and observational studies on children’s digital play with quantitative evidence from existing datasets on digital use and well‑being. The methodology is grounded in the RITEC framework.
Citation
Responsible Innovation in Technology for Children. UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti, Florence, 2022.
Record created:
15 September 2026- risks online gaming age-appropriate design digital health
Related content
- < Previous Item
- Next Item >
