Digital childhood report, Baroness Kidron, CGMS2017

‘Teens should receive lessons on reputation management’ says the Digital Child Report

Digital Childhood is a new report from a group of academics led by Dr. Rudkin, Child Clinical Psychologist at University of Southampton, and convened by Baroness Kidron OBE, Founder of 5Rights.

The digital childhood report shares 36 recommendations which will create a safe digital environment for children and young people.

Teens should receive lessons on reputation management is just one of the recommendations shared in the Digital Childhood report which was showcased today at the Children’s Global Media Summit.

Digital training for all teachers, and specialist training for those with responsibility for safeguarding, personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) and sex and relationships education (SRE) is also suggested.

The reports says:

Children’s wellbeing in the digital environment is of no less importance than their wellbeing in any other setting.

*Image: Kerry Cabbin – Children aged 10-12 years-old and their digital use is a concern, says digital childhood report*

It states that the digital environment was not intended as a place for childhood, but recognises that more than a third of its nearly 3 billion users are under 18.

The research from 11 experts suggest schools, education, parents and the technology industry need to do more to ensure the safety of children and young people online.

Dr Rudkin said: “Children and young people need to be supported on their journey through the digital world and should have access to the same privileges, information and rights that they enjoy in the analogue world”.

Baroness Kidron added that the report was long overdue, and said: “If we allow a digital environment that doesn’t take account of the needs of childhood, we reject the hard-won privileges and protections that a century and a half of careful consideration, research and lawmaking across the globe has afforded our children.

“If we leave things as they are, we denigrate the status of children, and childhood, in the plain sight of parents, media, civil society and governments”.

Image: Kerry Cabbin – Authors of the digital childhood report believe that the digital environment has created welcome opportunities for children and young people and excluding them from it is neither an option, nor desirable.

Baroness Kidron, spoke today, about the report at the Children’s Global Media Summit, telling delegates:

“A child on the internet is treated as if they are an adult, and that is a problem, Childhood development needs to be at the base of looking at a digital childhood”.