Research updates

Spending time online can boost children’s well-being– depending on their social framework

24th June 2022

Contrary to what many fear, the time children spend in front of a screen is associated with a good quality of life. EU Kids Online findings from media researchers at the University of Oslo indicate that plenty of screen time is a positive rather than a negative thing for children and adolescents with a supportive family and school network.

Online sexual exploitation and abuse: new findings

1st June 2022

Protecting children from online sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSEA) has been at the forefront of international efforts over the past week. The WePROTECT Global Summit in Brussels gathered more than 400 delegates from industry, government, civil society and international organisations coming together with the aim to strengthen the global response to OCSEA. The misuse of the internet and digital technologies to sexually abuse and exploit children is a rapidly growing issue that knows no borders. Yet, evidence on the nature and scale of the problem remains limited.

Children’s experiences of risks online in Zambia

9th May 2022

Like children in many parts of the world, the COVID-19 pandemic profoundly affected the lives of children in Zambia, with many moving online for many of their daily activities and simply spending more time online. While there is no reliable data on the degree to which children were using the internet and technology before the pandemic, the recent Zambia Kids Online study undertaken across several sites within Zambia has provided some insight into children’s online experiences, both positive and negative.

Safer Internet Day 2022: what we are talking about today

8th February 2022

Safer Internet Day is celebrated globally in February to promote children’s safe and beneficial use of digital technologies. This year the celebrations are dedicated to the theme “All fun and games? Exploring respect and relationships online” acknowledging how young people are shaping the interactive entertainment spaces they are a part of online. Here is a quick overview of some relevant Global Kids Online resources on children’s internet safety.

Do internet addiction and gaming disorders exist?

8th November 2021

Since the invention of online gaming, there have been concerns that video games were destroying the mental health of a generation. The WHO’s decision in 2018 to include Gaming Disorder in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) has reignited fears that online games can be addictive.

Adjusting to a socially distanced world

29th April 2021

Although COVID-19 presented challenges for research and fieldwork in 2020, our Global Kids Online partners have made important progress still. We share updates and reflect on lessons learned during a year of adjusting to a socially distanced world. While the lives of many children have become digital by default, Global Kids Online has worked to unpack how digital inequalities affect children’s online opportunities, to identify pathways to vulnerability, inform child protection efforts, and to flag concerns about the impact of digital marginalization on child rights.

Children globally rely on the internet during Covid19

23rd April 2021

During COVID19 it has become more urgent than ever to recognise the importance of the digital environment for children and young people. In a digital world, internet access is a vital gateway for both the realisation and violation of children’s rights. Recently the global #CovidUnder19 project released new findings on how children are relying on the internet for their information, education and participation.

Pathways from offline to online risk: new findings

9th February 2021

Children’s lives are increasingly mediated by digital technologies, yet our knowledge of how this affects their well-being is patchy. Today, UNICEF and LSE are launching our rapid evidence review aiming to identify the pathways to resilience and harm and the factors that can intensify risk or protect children from it. Ensuring children’s well-being and positive engagement with digital technologies requires more attention to long-term consequences and filling the gaps in our evidence, regulation, and education initiatives.

International day against violence and bullying

4th November 2020

The UNESCO member states declared the first Thursday of November the International day against violence and bullying at school in recognition that school-related violence in all its forms is an infringement of children and adolescents’ rights to education and to health and well-being. In support of this initiative, we reflect on the comparative findings of the Global Kids Online network based on data among nearly 15,000 internet-using children in 11 countries across Europe, Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America.