Better Internet for Kids

On Monday, 11 May 2026, we experienced a very special day in Jaén (Spain), celebrating Internet Day 2026. The highlight was undoubtedly the online workshop “Of course! Here’s another suggestion. What would you do with AI?”, which we created in collaboration with the National Institute of Educational Technologies and Teacher Training (INTEF). It was led by teacher and educational content creator Susi Profe and brought together more than 4,500 current and former students from various schools across the country, both online and in person.

How many times a day do kids look at a screen? And what if the online world doesn’t just entertain them, but actually changes who they are? In this episode, we dive into the impact of the digital environment on children and teens, from social media algorithms and beauty culture to exposure to sexual content online, and the effects on their self-image, relationships, and boundaries. 

This episode will address:

How can you tell when the online world is just fun and a source of information for a child, and when it becomes a way to escape? How do you talk with your child about their experiences online when communication has almost stopped?

It’s easy to forget what real relationships are made of — effort, uncertainty, and vulnerability. But what happens when your “perfect partner” is a machine? Always listens, never complains, and gives you exactly what you want… sounds ideal, right? Or is it a trap?

PPodcast guest is Nora Vlášková, M.A. is a psychotherapist specialising in relationships, infidelity, and personal crises. She originally studied law and worked in criminal justice before transitioning into psychotherapy. She now leads online courses on relationships and is a regular voice in the media. 

The poster "Back to School – Tips for Students" offers 8 key internet safety tips for the new school year, including how to protect personal data, verify information, respect privacy, think critically online, and treat others with respect. It’s designed to be simple and student-friendly, helping learners feel safe and responsible in the digital world.

A study conducted in Lithuania shows that children as young as 2 years old use screens for more than 1 hour a day on average, and 7-year-olds for more than 2 hours a day. Long screen time has a negative impact on other activities that are important for children's development, related to the child's emotional problems and behavioural difficulties, perceived sleep quality. 

Internet traffic School (Netumferðarskólinn) is a part of the government's action plan for cybersecurity and was initially funded by the Ministry of Higher Education, Industry and Innovation. Around 9,000 children aged 6-13 years, 2,000 parents and 800 teachers in 80 different schools all around the country have participated in the Internet Traffic School for the past 1.5 years. 

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. 

Sammanfattning:

I Ecpats rapport om pojkars perspektiv på jämställdhet framkommer oroande attityder när det gäller jämställdhet och makt i samhället. Många pojkar anser att flickor bär ansvaret för sin sexuella utsatthet och de tycker att jämställdhetsarbetet har gått för långt. Dessa åsikter förekommer även bland yngre pojkar.

English summary: