Session
Organizer 1: Intergovernmental Organization, Intergovernmental Organization
Organizer 2: Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Organizer 2: Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 1: Ingle Adam, Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 2: Angela Colvert , Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 3: Francesco Cecon, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 4: Catherine Knibbs, Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 2: Angela Colvert , Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 3: Francesco Cecon, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 4: Catherine Knibbs, Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Format
Roundtable
Duration (minutes): 60
Format description: This is intended to be a dynamic discussion with interaction from the audience (both online and in the room). A roundtable discussion fosters this interactive engagement, and encourages open dialogue.Roundtable settings allow the different stakeholders in the room to brainstorm actionable solutions, and promotes direct engagement between the speakers and the audience. This is particularly useful for complex issues such as child safety in online gaming platforms - and particularly useful where there is an intention to have speakers coming from different perspectives as well as youth speakers. We also hope to have youth participants in the audience (as well as a youth speaker), and such a setting will likely create a comfortable atmosphere and facilitate engagement in the discussion from this key stakeholder group.
Duration (minutes): 60
Format description: This is intended to be a dynamic discussion with interaction from the audience (both online and in the room). A roundtable discussion fosters this interactive engagement, and encourages open dialogue.Roundtable settings allow the different stakeholders in the room to brainstorm actionable solutions, and promotes direct engagement between the speakers and the audience. This is particularly useful for complex issues such as child safety in online gaming platforms - and particularly useful where there is an intention to have speakers coming from different perspectives as well as youth speakers. We also hope to have youth participants in the audience (as well as a youth speaker), and such a setting will likely create a comfortable atmosphere and facilitate engagement in the discussion from this key stakeholder group.
Policy Question(s)
A. What risks do online gaming platforms pose to children’s safety? How can these risks be effectively addressed through policy and platform design and technological standards while preserving children’s right to safe and meaningful digital play?
B. What do online games bring for children beyond play, and do game designers and policy makers alike need to account for aspects beyond gaming, when designing games and policy or laws to regulate them?
C. What roles can national and international regulators play in setting and enforcing child safety standards for online gaming platforms? What practical challenges exist?
What will participants gain from attending this session? This session will advance participants understanding of the reality of online gaming for children today – what they take from online games (over and above play, e.g. social connection, learning) and how online games support children’s development and well-being. Participants will hear from (and interact with) speakers who can provide perspectives on child rights, and child development – as well as the perspective of youth. Participants will also learn about the complex risks that online games can expose children to, and how children’s individual circumstances and vulnerabilities can exacerbate risks. The discussion will centre on policy and practical tools needed to balance opportunities and risks, and in doing so promote safe and beneficial spaces for children to play online. Participants will, for instance, hear about the practical application tools for safe and beneficial digital design for children (such as the OECD’s key components for safe digital design for children).
Description:
Digital technologies unequivocally affect children’s well-being – from exposure to a range of harms, to providing diverse benefits such as facilitating learning, social connection and creative play. It is critical that policy makers, tech companies, parents, and other stakeholders actively consider the needs of children in fostering and designing digital spaces that can both protect children and allow them to access and realise the benefits of digital environments, a key aspect of children’s daily lives today. Through the lens of online gaming, this event will explore the opportunities and risks for children in the digital environment with a view to advancing child safety online, while preserving children’s capacity to reap the benefits of the digital spaces they inhabit. Digital technologies are an important avenue through which children exercise their right to play. Through play, children build relationships, learn to problem solve and develop essential life skills – such as cognitive, social, emotional and creative skills. Online gaming is an important avenue through which children play, but not just play. Through online games children find spaces for socialising, creating, learning and passive entertainment. At the same time, features of digital games can open up risk – exposing children to a wide range of harms, from privacy breaches and commercial exploitation to inappropriate or illegal contacts. Taking the ecosystem of online gaming as a case study, this event will advance understanding of how the design of technologies can provide opportunities for the vulnerabilities of childhood to be exploited, but also how technologies can be designed with the interests of children in mind – employing child-centred features that can promote benefits and minimise risk.
Digital technologies unequivocally affect children’s well-being – from exposure to a range of harms, to providing diverse benefits such as facilitating learning, social connection and creative play. It is critical that policy makers, tech companies, parents, and other stakeholders actively consider the needs of children in fostering and designing digital spaces that can both protect children and allow them to access and realise the benefits of digital environments, a key aspect of children’s daily lives today. Through the lens of online gaming, this event will explore the opportunities and risks for children in the digital environment with a view to advancing child safety online, while preserving children’s capacity to reap the benefits of the digital spaces they inhabit. Digital technologies are an important avenue through which children exercise their right to play. Through play, children build relationships, learn to problem solve and develop essential life skills – such as cognitive, social, emotional and creative skills. Online gaming is an important avenue through which children play, but not just play. Through online games children find spaces for socialising, creating, learning and passive entertainment. At the same time, features of digital games can open up risk – exposing children to a wide range of harms, from privacy breaches and commercial exploitation to inappropriate or illegal contacts. Taking the ecosystem of online gaming as a case study, this event will advance understanding of how the design of technologies can provide opportunities for the vulnerabilities of childhood to be exploited, but also how technologies can be designed with the interests of children in mind – employing child-centred features that can promote benefits and minimise risk.
Expected Outcomes
This session will allow for an expanded understanding of the opportunities and challenges that the digital environment brings for children, through the specific lens of one kind of online space children inhabit and value – but also where they face risk. This will bring learning opportunities for the participants and speakers alike, allowing for the identification of good practices and of challenges that may need addressing and the different roles of all stakeholders in addressing these challenges. It will also feed into a project being undertaken by the co-organisers to better understand and measure the effect of the digital environment on children’s well-being, and will inform research, next steps and publications relevant to this project.
Hybrid Format: The event aims to be interactive and full participation will be accessible for both onsite and online audience. Online and onsite audience will be able to ask questions to the speakers and interact through a live “social wall,” technology permitting. The online moderator will monitor engagement with the online chat / Q&A to ensure smooth coordination with the onsite moderator to ensure that audiences members both in the room and online are able to equally participate in the discussion. If suitable, interactive elements like polls which audience members both in the room and online can access via a QR code may be employed.