As UK homes acquire more digital technologies, and as those technologies become more portable and diverse, ever younger children are using the internet at home and school. Yet research on very young children is sparse, with most knowledge to date focused on older children and teenagers. EU Kids Online’s recent review of the available literature drew out some tentative findings, but many questions remain unanswered about the physical, mental, emotional and social consequences (opportunities or risks) of internet/digital engagement for young children and their families.

This report presents the UK findings from an EC-funded seven-country collaboration designed to inform evidence-based policy development. It draws on findings from interviews and observations with ten families at home, each with a child aged six or seven, and often including younger siblings. Since it is a pilot study, we also reflect on the methodological challenges of working with this age group.

Impact

The Telegraph - "Cyber safety: How protected are your children online?"
11 August 2015