Better Internet for Kids

Underpinned by the aims and outputs of the European strategy for a better internet for kids (BIK+), the platform provides information, guidance and resources on better internet issues from the joint Insafe-INHOPE network of Safer Internet Centres in Europe and other key stakeholders for ALL those who support or educate children and young people in their online lives.

In addition to ‘old favourites’, like news, events and campaigns from European Safer Internet Centres and beyond, and links to the national awareness raising, helpline and hotline services in your country, the site also provides:

• Various guides to help you probe deeper into some of the current online challenges and ways to empower young people online.
  
  For example, the resources directory provides access to a range of resources created by Safer Internet Centres in national languages, targeted to age, topic, or type of resource.
  
  A guide to age assurance offers practical guidance to digital services providers throughout a self-assessment process. It also provides relevant questions about age assurance to attain a robust and critically reflected decision-making process regarding the protection of minors online. In the coming months, it will be supplemented with additional toolkit materials to help parents and families learn more about this important topic.
• Joining our popular Teacher and educator corner is a new Parent and caregiver corner, designed to support parents, caregivers, and generally any tutoring figure to help children and young people navigate the digital world. You will find sections dedicated to some of the most topical concerns for parents, such as parental controls, gaming and managing screen time. In addition, you will find a range of learning modules and deep dive sessions that are provided to ensure parents and caregivers have the knowledge required to understand the risks and opportunities that accompany the digital experiences of youth, and help you develop the skills to support them to manage and benefit from these experiences.
• An upgraded BIK Youth corner highlights the importance of involving young people in discussions concerning a safer and better internet. It spotlights the BIK Youth Programme, which offers various avenues for young individuals to share their ideas, viewpoints, and experiences aligned with the three pillars of the BIK+ strategy to protect, respect and empower children and young people online. It also informs young people on how they can get involved in their national youth activities.

The shining star of the new platform is the new BIK Knowledge hub: the European central access point for information, evidence, policy and practice insights. It evidences the impact of digital transformation on the lives of children and young people in the EU, Iceland, and Norway (EU 27+2). Its heart and soul is a BIK Policy monitor, a key feature that provides a comprehensive review of the state of implementation of the BIK+ strategy across the EU 27+2. It presents annually updated data in the form of the annual BIK Policy monitor report, and includes an interactive Policy map and Policy index, supplemented by individual country profiles.

The Knowledge hub is complemented by two directories: the Rules and guidelines directory provides an overview of relevant policies, strategies, and governmental initiatives for implementing the BIK+ strategy, while the Research and reports directory collates timely and relevant research and evidence informing the implementation of the BIK+ strategy. Alongside these, you’ll also find a growing resource of Knowledge hub insights, combining information, evidence, and policy insights across the knowledge hub in digestible and topical articles.

The good news doesn’t stop there! Alongside other content and services that are too numerous to detail here, the entire platform is designed to be more user-friendly and accessible, with much-improved search functions across the site. We’ve also introduced detailed FAQs (frequently asked questions) to support you in your journey of discovery and have new features planned in the coming months.

Come and explore more at better-internet-for-kids.europa.eu; we look forward to your visit!