Better Internet for Kids

The program of the summit features new knowledge on children’s lives online and information on the support that the organisations behind the Safer Internet Centre Sweden offer. The program includes The Swedish Agency for the Media’s presentation of three new reports where children and young people’s media use and health, relation to influencers and girls with neuropsyciatric disabilities and online behaviour are examined. There is also a presentation of the Digital Services Act, DSA, from a senior expert of the European Commission. 

This workshop format, designed for working with children and young people, aims to teach participants how to protect themselves from online sexual harassment in a practical setting. They will learn about the risks of communicating online, how to recognise grooming strategies and how to adapt their online behaviour accordingly. They are also encouraged to trust their instincts and say a clear 'no' in situations that make them feel uncomfortable.

In this report the connection between self-assessed mental health and media use among girls (aged 13-18 years) with neuropsychiatric disabilities is described and analysed. The report is based on data from the series Kids and Media that is Sweden’s largest survey on children and media use carried out every second year. Some of the results are that girls with neuropsychiatric disabilities aged 13–18 use social media and digital devices for a longer time per day on average compared to other young people of the same age.

Undoubtedly, the internet has now become an integral part of the daily lives of children and adolescents, and as parents, we must remain vigilant, listening to and understanding our children's activities and interactions online. While the internet offers numerous benefits, it also poses significant risks to underage users, such as exposure to inappropriate or harmful content and cyberbullying.

Webwise youth led audio series.

Webwise youth led audio series.

Social networks are an important part of children's and young people's lives - but many parents and adult caregivers feel overwhelmed when it comes to deciding at what age their child can use social networks, what the risks are or what settings are available. This is where the 'What is...' series comes in: each guide explains how each platform works and gives tips on how to use it safely. Guides are available for Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, WhatsApp and Roblox, as well as the Google Family Link parental control app.

This guide is for anyone involved in developing child protection policies. It aims to ensure that as few of the digital aspects that are so important in the lives of children and young people as possible are overlooked. The guide focuses on six key issues: content development and media work, social media activities, online communication with children and young people, media use and media education, media literacy and data protection.

These tips can support parents to start a conversation with their teenage children about the internet and can also be adapted for younger age groups.

Misinformation has always been and remains a common phenomenon on the internet, but the emergence and widespread acceptance of social networks have turned the spread of false information into a true 'epidemic.' False news spreads at lightning speed through social networks, giving it credibility and making it believable to a significant number of people.