Children as digital rights agents

This paper looks at children’s involvement and contribution to internet safety policy. In many respects, the research perspective on children and young people has also seen a shift towards the child as agent, as citizen (Livingstone 2002, 2009; Dahlgren 2007). With increasing attention given to children’s communication rights there is an acknowledgement that children’s voices should be heard in all matters that affect them (Hamelink 2008). We still, however, primarily discuss how adults could and should take responsibility in guarding children and young people from risk and harm, and what the role of the “adult world” is. We need to focus more on the active role that children and adolescents play, according to age, skills and various capacities, in identifying, reflecting upon and acting according to opportunities and challenges in relation to digital media and digital rights (Hartman et al 2007).
The paper presents a model for analyzing the intersecting levels of children as agents in relation to digital risks and rights:
Children as peer-to-peer agents. Children provide mutual practical guidance; experience sharing; advice. re. to risk and harm.
Children as advocates/ politicians. Children participate in youth parliaments; media councils; Safer Internet day; IGF; NGOs,
Children as informants. Children contribute to research; media coverage; content providers; reporters (of negative content/ behavior
The model is primarily supported by empirical data from the Net Children Go Mobile study (2014). The findings document that children do actively reflect about and act in relation to digital opportunities and challenges. The model further draws on the documentation from EU Kids Online 1-3, and reports from the safer internet awareness nodes, the Danish Media council, and the focus on children’s digital rights at 8 Internet Governance Fora.