Childhood in the Digital Age is a complex and multifaceted topic. In today’s hyperconnected world, the internet plays a major role in children’s lives, offering opportunities for education, socializing, and entertainment. However, these benefits come with risks, like cyberbullying. As younger children access the digital world, we must ask: how can we protect them while respecting their digital rights and autonomy? By reexamining childhood and applying children’s rights to online spaces, we can build a framework that safeguards them while empowering them to explore the internet safely and confidently.
The Concept of Childhood in the Digital Age
Historically, children were seen as passive and dependent, with adults making decisions on their behalf. However, as noted by scholars like Ansell (2005), children are not just “human becoming” but “human beings”—active participants shaping their own lives.
The United Nations defines a child as anyone under 18, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) has shifted the perspective from seeing children as needing protection to recognizing them as social subjects with rights and evolving capacities.
As childhood evolves in the digital age, we need to recognize that children are not just consumers but also creators in digital spaces. This calls for a new approach—one that respects their voices, gives them agency, and ensures they can explore the online world safely and freely.
Balancing Children’s Digital Rights and Parental Mediation
Children’s digital rights are part of the broader human rights framework, including their right to participation, privacy, and protection online. But these rights come alongside the responsibility of caregivers to shield them from harm.
Parental mediation plays a vital role in preventing risks like cyberbullying. While all mediation strategies have benefits, overly restrictive mediation can lead to secrecy and rebellion. Children may feel their independence is stifled, causing tension between them and their parents. On the other hand, active mediation fosters open dialogue, building trust and allowing children to explore the digital world with support.
Understanding Parents’ Role in Digital Safety
My research focuses on redefining childhood and emphasizes listening to children’s voices in discussions about their digital lives. When reviewing existing literature on parental mediation, one question stood out: If most studies center on adults managing children’s digital lives, where is the children’s perspective? Shouldn’t their online experiences be part of the conversation, so children and adults can work together to find solutions?
This question led to my PhD research at the DCU Anti-Bullying Centre in Ireland, part of Project PARTICIPATE, where I’m exploring how we can balance parental mediation with children’s digital rights. This includes considering factors like parents’ digital skills, which significantly influence their mediation style and awareness of online risks. It also involves assessing how comfortable children are discussing their online experiences with their parents, and how effectively parents foster an environment for open communication.
Encouraging Open Communication and Digital Literacy
To create a supportive digital environment, we need to encourage open dialogue between parents and children. By respecting children’s evolving capacities and promoting shared discussions about their online experiences, we can build an inclusive digital space that prioritizes both their protection and their participation.
Meghmala Mukherjee
