Digital children: well-being in the online environment

Children born in the digital age are growing up in a world in which technological developments are rapid and relentless. In the social sphere, social media and messaging apps are now an essential part of how youngsters seek out and form friendships and make sense of the word about them. While in educational settings, the broader school experience has been transformed by the integration of digital technologies and media. Although the acquisition of digital competencies is widely considered a priority in education, there is growing awareness of the dangers and costs of extended “screen time” and its negative impacts on the physical and mental wellbeing of youngsters.

We invite research that addresses the challenges and opportunities for children growing up in the digital era, including, but not limited to, the following themes:

• Digital technologies as tools for promoting positive social, emotional and physical wellbeing, including cognitive and physical development
• Opportunities offered by digital technologies for children and young people to enhance creativity, social interaction, learning, and global connections
• Risks posed by digital technology including cyberbulling, trafficking, abuse, and exploitation, marketing and influencers
• Children’s rights in the online environment, including data protection and privacy
• Digital inequality, exclusion and poverty – and policies and initiatives to alleviate the digital divide
• Psychological and social implications of technology on children and young people

Research is primarily invited from the following fields, although other perspectives will be welcomed: media and communication studies, social psychology, child development.

Research that simply reports on case studies involving the use of ICT in educational settings is not in the scope of this Collection, unless broader social/psychological perspectives and implications are examined in depth.

This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3, SDG 4 and SDG 10.