Questions of "quality": an alternate discourse for thinking about children's internet experiences

The internet has enhanced childrens lives in many ways, yet it is also (increasingly) exploitative, risky, harmfuland problematic. Efforts to address the prevalent challenges and concerns surrounding childrens online experiences are underpinned by dominant discursive lenses, such as child rights, digital wellbeing, education, online safety and design, which inform or make possible certain policy, industry and scholarly responses.

This presentation outlines emerging insights from a collaborative research project that explores how discursive notions of quality may enable new or expanded potential for understanding and strengthening childrens everyday internet experiences. Drawing on generative reflections from a conceptual mapping exercise and a participatory workshop with tech industry stakeholders, this presentation invites consideration of how a quality lens may speak more directly to childrens everyday experiences, and in turn offer a more grounded means to strengthen and improve childrens digital lives. The project is a core research activity of the ARC Centre of Excellence for theDigital Childs Childrens Internet Project, which seeks to identify realistic and measured steps stakeholders can take to support children to safely navigate, critically engage with and playfully experience digital worlds.