Three respected academics will gather to share their research on how Australian children can access an internet more suitable to their needs – compared to the current ‘free-for-all’ that currently exists.
The Manifesto for a Better Children’s Internet is the result of a two-year project by researchers from the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child. It highlights 17 actionable principles, including the development of quality standards for age-appropriate content, a move away from over-reliance on ‘parental control’, and promotion of media literacy.
The webinar – streaming this Tuesday, 5 December, and available to view by registered ticket holders who cannot attend the live event – aims to shine a light on why the children’s internet is the ‘wild west’ for children, with anyone (and, it seems, almost everyone) able to upload content promoted as ‘for children’ without oversight or regulation. Technology companies can also label popular apps, social media, and digital resources as ‘educational’ without any scrutiny.
The three academics behind the research and webinar are:
-
Professor Tama Leaver (Curtin University, ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child)
Professor Leaver is a regular media commentator, a Chief Investigator in the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child, and the Immediate Past President of the Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR). His research interests include children’s data, privacy, and rights in an online world, including the impact of artificial intelligence on children; visual social media; the activity and regulation of big social media companies, especially in Australia; and the social, casual and mobile gaming landscape.
- Professor Michael Dezuanni (Queensland University of Technology, ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child)
The professor undertakes research about digital media, literacies and learning in home, school and community contexts. He is the Program Leader for Digital Inclusion and Participation for QUT’s Digital Media Research Centre which produces world-leading research for a creative, inclusive and fair digital media environment. Professor Dezuanni is also a chief investigator in the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child.
- Dr Aleesha Rodriguez (Queensland University of Technology, ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child)
As a ‘tech-sociologist’ who explores the ways in which people and technology shape each other, Dr Rodriguez has a background in digital media communication and Science and Technology Studies (STS) and is currently a Research Fellow at the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child at QUT, exploring public imaginaries about future digital media technologies for children.
Call for action will improve online safety for children
By presenting a manifesto of practical principles to help re-design the internet with the unique and important needs of children at the forefront, the Manifesto for a Better Children’s Internet calls on community leaders, government, and industry to take action and improve the internet for children to ensure meaningful change and achieve better outcomes for children.
