GLOBAL KIDS ONLINE Research synthesis 2015-2016

With children making up an estimated one third of internet users worldwide, living in the ‘digital age’ can have important implications for children’s lives.1 Currently close to 80 per cent of people in Europe, North America and Australia have internet access, compared with less than 25 per cent in some parts of Africa and South Asia.2 But this is bound to change soon, as there is already a steady increase in internet access in the global South where most investments are taking place. The international community has recognised the importance of internet access for development, economic growth and the realization of civil rights and is actively seeking ways to ensure universal internet access to all segments of society. Children should be an important part of this process, not only because they represent a substantial percentage of internet users but also because they play an important part in shaping the internet. The internet in turn plays an important part in shaping children’s lives, culture and identities. The many stakeholders responsible for children’s safe and positive use of the internet (governments, civil society and the private sector alike) have an important task to formulate policies that are inclusive, balanced and based on solid evidence. But at present, the evidence on which such policies can rely is very scarce, especially in the global South. Through evidence-generation and research, one can identify both the commonalities and specificities of children’s online access and opportunities, skills and practices, risks and safety. Research is also invaluable for contextualising online experiences in relation to children’s and families’ lives and the wider cultural or national circumstances. Prevailing social norms and value systems, prevalence of violence offline, places and access to use of the internet, children’s support networks, can all contribute to the benefits or harm associated with internet use. At the global level, evidence is needed to help build a consensus among international actors on international standards, agreements, protocols and investments in order to make the internet a safer and better place for children. Responding to evidence gaps, the Global Kids Online research project (www.globalkidsonline.net) was developed as a collaborative initiative between the UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti, the London School of Economics and Political Science, and the EU Kids Online network. Supported by the WeProtect Global Alliance, the project developed a global research toolkit that would enable academics, governments, civil society and other actors to carry out reliable and standardized national research with children and their parents on the opportunities, risks and protective factors of children’s internet use. The research toolkit and other resources available to the public include:  Modular survey and a range of quantitative research tools  Qualitative research protocols and tools  A series of expert method guides on key issues related to researching children’s online risks and opportunities (e.g. how to carry out research on online sexual exploitation and how to follow appropriate ethical procedures when conducting research with children);  National reports from Argentina, the Philippines, Serbia and South Africa;  A research synthesis of the national reports from the four pilot countries;  Website (portal) for hosting the research toolkit, national reports, and a synthesis report. Available at www.globalkidsonline.net Global Kids Online (GKO) follows a child rights framework, as this offers a unifying approach to children’s everyday experiences online, as well as offline, while also recognising the diverse contexts in which children live. The project aims to connect evidence with the ongoing international dialogue regarding policy and practical solutions for children’s well-being and rights in the digital age, especially in countries where the internet is only recently reaching the mass market. National research partners from Argentina, the Philippines, Serbia and South Africa, with support from UNICEF country offices, piloted the research toolkit and wrote national reports. These partners were instrumental in building and testing research resources and in demonstrating how research results can be used for policy and practice. The model that emerged was one of co-creation and co-ownership with centralized coordination and technical support and a de-centralized approach to national research and dissemination of the findings. The countries were selected originally as being middle-income, representing different continents, having a strong interest in pursuing research on this topic, and keen interest from both governmental and nongovernmental sectors to provide universal access and promote safer and better internet for children. Each country also had its unique interests in investigating particular issues as follows:  Argentina – rural/urban divide and opportunities for strengthening digital literacy;  Serbia – conditions of internet use among different population groups (Roma, children with disabilities);  South Africa – barriers to access and availability of online content in local languages;  The Philippines – challenges of online sexual exploitation.

"Children predominantly access the internet at home and through mobile devices. The majority of children learn something new by searching the internet Younger internet users lack the digital skills of their older peers. Younger children’s digital safety skills also need support. A substantial minority of young internet users have had contact with unknown people online. Argentinian children are most likely to report having been bothered or upset online in the past year. Countries vary in the amount of risks encountered and the balance with online opportunities. Children are most likely to seek support from a friend, and rarely from a teacher." (Byrne et al., 2016, p. 4)