How might children’s online experiences be understood through a digital ethics of care framework?

To explore children’s online conduct from a child’s digital rights perspective, a small-scale child participatory study was conducted. Eighteen children (5 males; 13 females) in the UK, aged 10–11 years old, participated by conducting interviews in pairs with one another. All children had previously engaged with a lesson to develop their interview skills, framed more broadly within the usual curriculum. A reflexive, organic, thematic analysis was conducted which identified four themes: i) Online experiences and associated conduct, ii) Emotions and Interoception, iii) Agency and action, and iv) Mentalising. The findings demonstrated children’s competencies using digital technology including their insights regarding how their social online interactions and conduct can make themselves and others feel. In conclusion, the research highlights the need for larger-scale studies in partnership with academics, technology companies, political representatives and most importantly children, to be solution-focused to ensure children’s digital rights are enacted.