2021 Better Internet for Kids annual report

While 2021 was undoubtedly a year of continuing uncertainty as the COVID-19 pandemic raged on across the globe, bringing with it new variants and new challenges, Better Internet for Kids actions, and the network of Safer Internet Centres in Europe continued to adapt to this new reality.

The 2021 edition of Safer Internet Day (SID), for example, provided an excellent example of this flexibility of approach. So often a backdrop to a multitude of face-to-face events and training opportunities across Europe and beyond, lockdown restrictions meant that SID stakeholders had to shift to online or hybrid events. Rather than curtailing activities, however, quite the reverse happened – celebrations were many and varied, and allowed for much wider and more diverse audiences to be reached than previously.

A considerable focus of activity during 2021 was on developing approaches that truly listen to, and act upon, the desires and demands of children and young people in shaping digital spaces. Set firmly within the context of the European Commission’s vision and avenues for Europe’s digital transformation by 2030, the #DigitalDecade4YOUth consultation work sought the views of children and young people (and other stakeholders) to ensure that the digital world is fit for the future and can allow everyone to benefit from all the opportunities it offers. While initial findings were presented at the 2021 edition of the Safer Internet Forum (SIF), the outputs from this work will continue to shape work programmes and priorities for many years to come.

Discover more by browsing through the full report.