Connected Practice

1. “EU Kids Online is delighted to announce the publication of its new book, “Kids Online: Opportunities and Risks for Children”, edited by Sonia Livingstone and Leslie Haddon (Bristol: Policy Press). This provides an up to date account of how children use the internet in Europe, including such topical issues as social networking, risky contacts, parental mediation, media literacy and many more.

As Professor Tanya Byron, author of the influential Byron Review into Safer Children in a Digital World says, “Professor Livingstone and colleagues provide extensive evidence-based findings which enable academics, educationalists, policy makers, parents and young people to think beyond anxieties generated by new technologies and make informed decisions about maximizing digital opportunities while managing risks. An impressive and essential book, central to the child digital safety debate.”

Ordering information is available here: http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/EUKidsOnline/KidsOnlineflyer.pdf

More on the EU Kids Online project can be found at: http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/EUKidsOnline/

2. Ofcom has just released new research on adult media literacy.

“Media literacy enables individuals, and society, to have the skills, knowledge and understanding they need to make full use of the opportunities presented both by traditional and by new communications services. Media literacy also helps people to manage content and communications, and protect themselves and their families from the potential risks associated with using these services.

This report provides an update to the Media Literacy Audit – Report on adult media literacy, published in 2006 and again in 2008 using fieldwork conducted in 2005 and 2007. In 2009, we have adopted a six-monthly fieldwork schedule, to enable more frequent reporting and the identification of emerging trends. This report is designed to give an accessible overview of media literacy among adults aged 16 and over, and is based on an initial wave of research conducted in spring 2009. Where possible, within the overall sample of adults, demographic analysis is conducted by age, by gender and by household socio-economic group.”

This research highlights the increase in numbers of older people online, noting that: “The growth in household take-up of the internet since the 2007 survey has meant that the profile of internet users has changed, with more users in older age groups…Looking at the overall profile of internet users, a higher share of users in 2009 are older (9% aged 65+ vs. 6% in 2007).”

The executive summary and full report are available at: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/advice/media_literacy/medlitpub/medlitpubrss/uk_adults_ml/