Policy

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    Media literacy: what are the challenges and how can we move towards a solution?

Media literacy: what are the challenges and how can we move towards a solution?

As governments seek to tackle a variety of problems of the digital age, media (or digital) literacy is often cited as the solution, partly because it is far less controversial than attempting to regulate the internet. LSE Professor Sonia Livingstone, chair of the LSE Commission on Truth, Trust and Technology, stresses the complexity of the challenges involved in improving media literacy, and the first steps that policy makers […]

March 13th, 2019|Featured, Reflections|0 Comments|
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Preparing young Europeans for the ‘digital future’?

Heated debates focus on new and emerging technologies in the lives of children, young people, families and schools. New research, out this week, brings together the perspectives of tech industry insiders and those of young people, parents, and educators across Europe, to explore the future of tech and provide practical recommendations. Alicia Blum-Ross led the research project while she was the Research […]

January 23rd, 2019|Featured, Research shows...|0 Comments|
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    7 great developments in internet safety that happened in 2018

7 great developments in internet safety that happened in 2018

Amidst many negative headlines throughout 2018 about safety and wellbeing of children online, there were some positive stories too. Here Anne Collier outlines developments in areas including cyberbullying, screen time, social-emotional literacy, content moderation and policy on fake news. Anne Collier is founder and executive director of The Net Safety Collaborative, home of the US’s social media helpline for schools. She has been […]

January 16th, 2019|Featured, Reflections|0 Comments|
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    Who is advising parents on screen time? Evidence-based advice for health visitors

Who is advising parents on screen time? Evidence-based advice for health visitors

Wondering whether to buy your child a tablet for Christmas but concerned about the risks? Health visitors could play a vital role in advising parents on screen time, but there is currently a lack of evidence-based research or guidance for them to draw upon. Here, Sonia Livingstone and Keely Franklin discuss what health visitors can do to bridge the gap when […]

December 13th, 2018|Featured, Research shows...|0 Comments|
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    Advising on screen time in Australia: Is the evidence up to the task?

Advising on screen time in Australia: Is the evidence up to the task?

How do the Australian Department of Health and Ageing’s new screen time guidelines sit with the latest research about screen time? In this blog Jane Mavoa highlights the problems around a lack of robust evidence informing official guidelines. Policy falls behind the latest push to focus on content and context of screen time, rather than just quantity of hours.  Jane is a […]

April 18th, 2018|Featured, Research shows...|0 Comments|
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    More clarity brings more confusion: what the European General Data Protection Regulations mean for UK children

More clarity brings more confusion: what the European General Data Protection Regulations mean for UK children

The debate around the upcoming General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is leaving many questions unanswered. In this post, Sonia Livingstone and DaYoung Yoo reflect on the discussions surrounding the forthcoming regulations and what it will mean for children. Sonia is Professor of Social Psychology at LSE’s Department of Media and Communications and has more than 25 years of experience in media research […]

February 21st, 2018|Featured, In the news|0 Comments|
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Against raising the age limit for parental consent

Article 8 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) gives EU member states the power to choose any minimum age of consent for data in law for children between the ages of 13 and 16. A fragmented landscape now exists, however, as member states have decided differently. Starting from the idea that children are emerging moral media actors in […]

November 29th, 2017|Featured, Research shows...|0 Comments|
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No more social networking for young teens?

From May 2018, The General Data Protection Regulation, will take effect in the EU. After years of debate, the legislation was passed including provisions that will affect children’s personal data. Sonia Livingstone discusses the impact of the GDPR on children and young teens, especially related to social networking. Since the legislation was passed, many opinions have been expressed and many […]

April 19th, 2017|Featured, Reflections|1 Comment|
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Creating the future of digital learning in the US

The 2016 National Education Technology Plan has just been released in the US, and Renee Hobbs reviews some key ideas from it, discussing how it aligns with digital and media literacy education. Renee is Professor of Communication Studies and Director of the Media Education Lab, Harrington School of Communication and Media, University of Rhode Island, USA. [Header image credit: […]

March 15th, 2017|Featured, Reflections|3 Comments|
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The controversial Named Persons provision in Scotland

Wendy M. Grossman discusses the problems surrounding the Named Persons provision in Scotland and the state’s role in children’s lives. She argues that the controversy surrounding this policy is exceptionally hard for parents to navigate. Wendy writes about the border wars between cyberspace and real life. She is the 2013 winner of the Enigma Award and she has released a number of books, articles, and music. [Header image […]

February 1st, 2017|Featured, Reflections|2 Comments|
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