Is the internet good for children?
27 Nov 2024 | 18:30-20:00 | Sheikh Zayed Theatre, LSE & online

DFC public event, in-person and online

Speaker: Prof Sonia Livingstone
Chair: Prof Ellen Helsper
Location: Sheikh Zayed Theatre, Cheng Kin Ku Building (CKK, see LSE campus map)

Public anxiety about children’s digital lives and wellbeing is reaching a fever pitch, marking a notable turnaround from the decades-long efforts to ensure children are fully digitally included, literate and empowered. While arguments rage over what’s wrong with ‘screen time,’ ‘online harms,’ and data-driven forms of exploitation, this lecture hosted by the Digital Futures for Children centre will make the case for a rights-based approach that puts children’s needs at the forefront of the design and deployment of digital services.

Registration: 
This public event is free and open to all.
In-person attendance: no ticket or pre-registration is required
Online attendance: register here.

Outlook calendar invite - download
Google calendar invite - download

DFC Research insights day 
29 Nov, 10:00 - 18:00, hybrid 

DFC public event, in-person and online

A day of talks from colleagues and collaborators at the DFC on our latest research and collaborative dialogue about children's rights in the digital environment.

Downland a detailed version of the agenda including talk titles and more information about speakers here.

Registration: 
This public event is free and open to all. 
In-person attendance: Pre-registration is required, as places are limited. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Online attendance: Pre-registration is required as we will share the link prior to the event.

 Book your place now! 
⚠️ Please note that this event is now fully booked for in-person attendance; however, we invite you to join us online.

DFC winter online meet up
10 Dec 2024, 17:00-18:00 (GMT) | Online

Get involved!

An open invitation to exchange updates, ideas and get involved! The Digital Futures for Children centre would love you to join us online.

No registration, just join online via Zoom (join online here)

Outlook calendar invite - download
Google calendar invite - downlaod

Smartphone policies in schools: an online workshop for secondary school teachers

The DFC held a workshop for secondary school teachers where they learnt what the evidence says and explored how smartphone policies can best be designed from a child rights perspective.

The workshop was CPD-certified and part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science 2024 - Our Digital Lives.

Read the review of the evidence.

DFC summer meet-up

The DFC hosted a summer meet-up in July 2024 and we were joined by friends and collaborators from all over the world to discuss ongoing DFC projects and share experiences and suggestions.

Read our reflections from the summer meet-up.

Access the presentations: General comment No. 25 and DFC research database

Children’s online marketing harms: roundtable

The DFC hosted an in-person academic roundtable in June 2024 focusing on evidence of the harmful impact of online marketing on children and young people. The discusison covered negative outcomes from marketing tactics such as obesity, body dissatisfaction, and unsafe behaviours.

Read our reflections from the roundtable.

Tech tantrums - when tech meets humanity | Public lecture

Speaker: Baroness Beeban Kidron

Chair: Professor Sonia Livingstone

In this talk, Beeban Kidron, best known for her global impact on tech regulation to benefit children, set out why issues around AI must not be left to tech experts and unaccountable corporations during her lively and well-attended DFC public lecture, chaired by Prof Sonia Livingstone.

Watch the lecture

Listen to the podcast

Read the blogs: AI companies have to become democratically accountable and Tech tantrums – when tech meets humanity

Impact of regulation on children’s digital lives | Report launch

New legislation and regulations are driving social media companies to make child safety and privacy changes, finds our new report by Steve Wood of PrivacyX Consulting and ex-ICO Deputy Commissioner. The report was launched on 20th May 2024 at the House of Lords.

Read the report

Read the blog

Digital Media Use in Early Childhood: Birth to Six | Book launch

The DFC launched Digital Media in Early Childhood: Birth to Six on 7th May 2024 with a lively and well attended event in LSE’s Shaw Library.

Read the event report

Speakers: Professor Sonia Livingstone, Professor Susan Danby, Professor Lelia Green and Professor Brian O’Neill

DFC celebrated the launch of Digital media use in early childhood with the authors and discussants. The book draws on a three-year research project examining the realities of under six-year-olds' experiences of digital technologies in the UK and Australia. At the launch, the authors presented the key arguments and reflect on a child rights-informed approach to early years’ digital lives.

More about the book

Pre-order book (flyer with discount code)

Launching: Digital Futures for Children

In case you missed the launch of Digital Futures for Children – a research collaboration between 5Rights Foundation and the Department of Media and Communications at London School of Economics and Political Science – you can find out more here.

Watch the webinar

Read about the event