Nordic co-operation on a safer digital democracy for children and youth
Children & young people
Digital media is an important part of everyday life for most Nordic children and young people. They socialize and communicate with friends and family, do schoolwork, play games and seek information on digital media. Although digital media have many positive benefits for children and young people, they are also associated with risks when it comes to health and well-being. Risks in terms of unhealthy comparison culture, loss of face-to-face interaction, loneliness, and lack of sleep among others. Digital media also expose children and young people to marketing and privacy challenges as their personal data and information is collected and shared by the large technology companies that provide the digital services, often without their active and informed consent. Moreover, the young people’s participation in the public debate online is limited, and young people themselves attribute this to the harsh tone in the political debate.
Goal and mission
The Nordic Welfare Centre’s mission is to promote and support co-operation that contributes to building a socially inclusive, sustainable and competitive Nordic region, the best place for children and young people to grow up in. A Nordic Region where all children and young people can participate in society and develop their abilities and skills on equal terms.
In line with this goal, the Nordic Welfare Centre is leading a project on Nordic co-operation on a safer digital democracy for children and youth. The aim is to promote strategic knowledge exchange and Nordic co-operation on how to ensure a safer digital democracy for children and young people.
Scope
During the project period 2024-2026, the Nordic Welfare Centre, in collaboration with a Nordic Steering Group and a Nordic Working Group, will shed light on the latest knowledge, research and policies in the Nordic region on digital media and children and young people.
The project will result in a Nordic analysis of the positive and negative effects of digital media on children and young people, and an overview of the Nordic countries’ policies and initiatives to ensure a safer digital democracy for children and youth, as well as key international standards and initiatives. A report reflecting the views and recommendations of Nordic children and young people, based on consultations with children and youth, will also be produced. Finally, joint Nordic recommendations will be developed based on the research findings and stakeholder consultations.
Background
This project follows up on a report by a time-limited Nordic Think Tank for Tech and Democracy, which was appointed by the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2022. The report A Nordic approach to democratic debate in the age of Big Tech offers 11 recommendations for the Nordic countries on how to strengthen the democratic dialogue in the age of Big Tech. The project of the Nordic Welfare Centre specifically follows up on recommendation 2A: “Protect the well-being and safety of children and youth online and push for more general control for citizens”.
National initiatives and recommendations
In recent years, the digital media habits of children and young people have been debated in the Nordic countries. Some of the issues discussed are social media’s negative effects, the appropriateness of social media platforms, age limits for social media use and screen time. These are all issues that are being addressed within the project.
In several countries, the governments have set up commissions and tasked authorities to examine the impact of digital media on the health, learning and well-being of children and young people, and to develop strategies and recommendations in this area. Read more about national initiatives and recommendations in the Nordic countries below.
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