What Does Responsible Innovation For Children Look Like?

UNICEF Innocenti is a Global Office of Research and Foresight that studies how children and young people interact with the online space and aims to inform policy and advocacy that will eventually help UNICEF and the global community protect the lives and rights of children, young people and families.

Recent research that was gathered caught our eye, and we wanted to share our favourite insights.

In this study, it’s observed that children are spending an increasing amount of time in digital spaces—amplified greatly since the COVID-19 pandemic limited offline interactions for around two years in most countries. With this shift online at a young age, we have to find ways and understand how this shift can equip children and support their success well into adulthood. Gen Alpha have never known a life without the internet, in fact they’ve never known life before the iPad. Where older generations learned how the internet began and the hurdles it overcame, young people these days don’t have this experience under their belts.

We all agree that the online world is a great equaliser and is an enormous playground of opportunity. But looking at the benefits doesn’t negate the truth that life online still holds elements that need to be enhanced to provide play in a protected and safe environment. In order to find solutions, first the crucial questions need to be asked: “How should we recognize the opportunities and benefits of digital technology for children’s well-being? What is the relationship between the design of digital experiences – in particular, play-centred design – and the well-being of children? What guidance and measures can we use to strengthen the design of digital environments to promote positive outcomes for children? And how can we make sure that children’s in...