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    Value the creative and social-emotional upsides of social media suggests new survey from Common Sense Media

Value the creative and social-emotional upsides of social media suggests new survey from Common Sense Media

A new report on US teens reveals that social media use can improve social-emotional well-being and support creativity but that vulnerable teenagers may rely more on such platforms. African-Americans also report more harm online, and low-income youth use social media in different ways. Mizuko (Mimi) Ito is a cultural anthropologist, studying youth new media practices in the US and Japan. She oversees […]

December 14th, 2018|Featured, Research shows...|0 Comments|
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    For, and against, Facebook’s Messenger Kids: Part 2 – Against

For, and against, Facebook’s Messenger Kids: Part 2 – Against

In the second of two posts looking at the debates surrounding the new Facebook Messenger for Kids app, Alicia Blum-Ross outlines some of the concerns. She argues that we need to know more about whether the app will meet users’ real needs and offer the support that under-13s may require. She also asks if it will lead to more social […]

March 16th, 2018|Featured, In the news|0 Comments|
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    Tackling fake news: Towards a new approach to digital literacy

Tackling fake news: Towards a new approach to digital literacy

Yesterday commenced the UNESCO Global Media and Information Literacy Week (MIL) which celebrates the goal of ‘MIL for all’. In the efforts towards this goal, we are discussing the issue of fake news stories, which have been a topic of discussion since the 2016 US Presidential election. In this post, Gianfranco Polizzi explains what critical digital literacy means and the role it could play in […]

October 26th, 2017|Featured, In the news|5 Comments|
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    How can parents become ‘screenwise’? An interview with Devorah Heitner

How can parents become ‘screenwise’? An interview with Devorah Heitner

In our research parents often complain that they don’t know where to turn to for advice about digital media, finding that the old ‘screen time’ rules don’t serve them well in a digital age. This is why we’ve contributed to resources to help guide parents and educators, and why we periodically feature the work of experts who are out […]

October 4th, 2017|Featured, Reflections|1 Comment|
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Under the limelight: Celebrity parents sharenting

This post explores sharenting as it relates to celebrity parents. Beyond the usual concerns of parents (over)sharing about their children online, for celebrities, sharenting can become a monetised practice where children are often used as the face of brands and campaigns.  Ana Jorge and Lidia Marôpo have studied the topic of children of celebrities since 2010, and suggest combining a rights-based […]

September 20th, 2017|Featured, Research shows...|0 Comments|
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Understanding fatherhood in the digital age

In this blog, Gillian Ranson looks into the rise of the father blogger. Recognising their growing impact, she reflects on the role of father bloggers with advertising as they become a potential source of revenue, as well as their position as ‘parent experts’ who are professionalised as fathers. Gillian is Professor Emerita of Sociology at the University of Calgary, Canada. She is […]

June 14th, 2017|Featured, Research shows...|1 Comment|
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Tiger Mom 2.0: (Over)parenting for a digital future?

In this Digital Age, are we setting up our children to fail? Following the ‘helicopter parenting’ concept of the 1990s Miriam Rahali looks into new pressures on parents (and children). As social media outlets allow parents to ‘overshare’, Miriam suggests that the anxiety of yesterday’s helicopter parents—who held unattainable standards for their children—have extended to the digital sphere at […]

June 6th, 2017|Featured, Reflections|1 Comment|
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The Blue Whale game paradox, digital literacy and fake news

Last week there were a number of news reports about the harmful effects of social media on the mental health of teens and young people. Responding to this, we are publishing two posts this week that address the topic. The first post was about young people encountering inappropriate content online. This second post by Gianfranco Polizzi looks at the Blue […]

May 25th, 2017|Featured, In the news, Reflections|9 Comments|
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Young people online: Encounters with inappropriate content

Last week there were a number of news reports about the harmful effects of social media on the mental health of teens and young people. Responding to this, we are publishing two posts this week that address the topic. First, this post by Rose Bray details the findings of the NSPCC and O2’s Net Aware research.

Investigating the nature of, […]

May 23rd, 2017|Featured, In the news, Reflections|0 Comments|
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Sharenting – in whose interests?

In this post, Stacey Steinberg explores her own personal conflicts around ‘sharenting’.  Social media enable parents to share their parenting experiences, with their children’s rights to privacy often overlooked. Here, she discusses the tensions and problems it creates, as well as some proposed policy suggestions and a recommendation for a public health model. Stacey is a legal skills professor at the University […]

May 17th, 2017|Featured, Research shows...|8 Comments|
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