The best practice guide on positive online content for children is out for SID 2020!

This Tuesday, 11 February 2020, on the occasion of Safer Internet Day (SID) 2020, the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) Coordination Team has published a best practice guide on positive online content for children. 

Date 2020-02-11 Author BIK Team Section awareness, positive-content, sid Audience organisations and industry

Based on the Positive Online Content Campaign (POCC) carried out in September 2019 by the BIK Coordination Team, this publication delves into positive online content: what it is, why it is necessary, how children (aged 0-12) can benefit from it, and how its production and mainstreaming can be facilitated to reach as many users as possible.

The aim and importance of positive online content mainly lies in giving young internet users access to high-quality online experiences which can assist and empower them to become active and participatory citizens. The guide contains the positive online content criteria checklist, which content providers can use to ensure that their products are fit for children. Parents, carers and educators can also use it to be better aware of the features they should look out when choosing online experiences for younger children.

After a short introduction to the actual state of play in Europe, the publication focuses on how young people, parents, carers, educators, teachers, content providers and producers can engage with positive online content.

Children and young people have the right to enjoy the best possible online experiences that the internet can provide. Content and services are supposed to be not only safe and reliable, but also attractive, easily usable, inclusive and fun. However, they are only as good as they are known to children, meet their needs, are liked and used. Therefore, it is crucial for producers and content providers to take children's feedback into account. For this reason, the guide also contains remarks from some BIK Youth Ambassadors.

The Positive Online Content Campaign and the best practice guide aim to raise awareness and inform parents and carers of what they should be looking for in online services and apps, in order to provide their children with online content that is respectful of their needs and learning capacities. The top tips for teachers can help them make the right choices and ensure safe and engaging experiences for their pupils.

Producers and content providers probably play the biggest role in ensuring that younger generations have access to age appropriate, safe, informative and empowering online experiences from the outset. The guide looks at the reasons why members of the industry should produce positive online content, showcases success stories, introduces their main challenges and provides top tips.

The publication wraps up with a look into the future of positive online content. In that regard, it is crucial to strengthen the framework and opportunities for its funding, ranging from public funding to industry initiatives. Producers and providers consider that it would also be useful to establish an EU-wide platform to share experiences and exchange best practices on the topic. Awareness raising campaigns all over Europe, starting with individual pledges, are another key element for the future of positive online content.

For more information, download the Best practice guide on Positive Online Content for Children (pdf) and visit betterinternetforkids.eu/web/portal/positiveonlinecontent.

We invite you all to join the movement and play your part for a better internet on Safer Internet Day on Tuesday, 11 February 2020.

Find further information on www.saferinternetday.org, a global online community platform where countries and international organisations showcase the events and the actions they are conducting locally, nationally and internationally for Safer Internet Day.

Additionally, keep an eye on the official Safer Internet Day social media channels on Facebook and Twitter, and follow the conversation with the hashtags #SaferInternetDay and #SID2020.

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