Tuesday 25 November 2014

Thematic Network POSCON launches Final Report and further publications on “positive online content for kids”

The EC-funded Thematic Network has published the “POSCON – Final Report”, giving detailed information about the outcomes and results of the two-year project: Criteria and a checklist for positive online content and services for children, a comprehensive overview of the landscape of positive content for children in Europe, as well as methods for financing and promoting positive online content. Furthermore, the network offers a brochure with guidelines and a checklist for positive online content, as well as the rich and colourful book “Positive Digital Content for Kids – Experts reveal their secrets”. The publications can be downloaded via www.positivecontent.eu and are also available as print versions.

With more and younger children going online, be it via desktop PCs, laptops, tablets or smartphones, the question of how to provide and find positive online content and services for children is obviously becoming more and more important. But what is good online content for children, what are criteria that qualify online content as “positive”? Where can positive content be found, and what is available in Europe? And, how can positive online content for children be financed and promoted?
All these are questions the Thematic Network POSCON (Positive Online Content and Services for Children in Europe) has been dealing with for the last more than two years. Funded by the European Commission in the Safer Internet Programme, this group of experts from more than 15 European countries has worked together to bring forward the topic of positive online content for children.
One of the main findings of the work done over the past two years is that there are already very good examples of positive online content and services for kids in Europe, and many creative talents producing excellent content for children. The issue of positive content for kids is dealt with very differently in various countries and regions, though, leading to notable differences as regards the landscape of good content available, along with clear challenges for providers and producers of online content for children, as well as for those promoting positive content and, in the end, parents and children searching for quality online content.


The detailed results of the POSCON network have now been published in the Public Final Report that is available online at www.positivecontent.eu and as print version. It offers an overview of the landscape of positive online content for children in Europe with factsheets from 14 European countries, and results from a survey among providers of online content for children about their work, needs and challenges. A comprehensive table gives information about financing models for positive online content, with pros and cons these might comprise, including a list of “top tips” recommendations for providers and producers, for government and national level, as well as for European level. Also, models for promoting positive online content for children are presented in a breakdown, including information for different levels and different perspectives. 
Furthermore, the report offers an overview of the “Criteria for Positive Content for Children” that have been set up during the project, including accessibility guidelines. 

These guidelines have in parallel been published in a brochure, together with a short version (checklist) for providers. This guidelines brochure has been re-published in November 2014 to include the chapter “Guidelines: towards accessibility of online content and services for everyone”.







Outcomes of the two-year discussions within the network can also be found in the book “Positive Digital Content for Kids – Experts reveal their secrets”, a rich and colourful publication on how to make positive online content with various interviews and statements from experts as well as several best practice examples from all over Europe, produced by Mijn Kind Online in cooperation with POSCON.


All three publications are available for download via the POSCON website at www.positivecontent.eu, and can be ordered (while supplies last) at poscon@lmk-online.de.

About POSCON
POSCON is an interdisciplinary network of experts from various European countries and brings together expertise, perspectives and experience of its members in order to promote and advance the topic of positive content on European level. POSCON is funded by the EC within the Safer Internet Programme.
The Thematic Network POSCON – Positive Online Content and Services for Children in Europe – is coordinated by the Landeszentrale für Medien und Kommunikation (LMK) Rheinland-Pfalz (Media Authority Rhineland-Palatinate, www.lmk-online.de). It is implemented in cooperation with fragFINN e.V. (www.fragfinn.de), jugendschutz.net (www.jugendschutz.net) and My Child Online (www.mijnkindonline.nl).
POSCON consists of institutions and companies from over 15 European countries – content producers and providers, researchers, parents' associations, experts from the area of media for children.

Members of the network are:
Graz University of Technology, Austria; Business Solutions Europa, Belgium; COFACE, Belgium; Czech Radio, Czech Republic; NCBI (Národní Centrum Bezpečnějšího Internetu), Czech Republic; MovieStarPlanet, Denmark; University of Aalborg, Denmark; Tallinn University Pedagogical College, Estonia; National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, Greece; Human Behavior Laboratory, University of Iceland; Paxel123.com, Iceland; La Nave Di Clo, Italy; Kidi.lv, Latvia; Fluency Smart Intervention Strategy Application, Malta; Het Klokhuis/NTR Youth, The Netherlands; FCT – Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, Portugal; National Federation of Romanian Parents’ Association, Romania; University of Navarra, Spain; University of Basel, Switzerland; Tomorrow’s Child, United Kingdom.


Contact details:
Thematic Network POSCON
c/o LMK Rheinland-Pfalz