Kids Online: Opportunities and Risks for Children

This book reports on the findings of the European Union (EU) Kids Online project. The EU Kids Online project brings together 70 researchers in 21 countries across Europe examining internet use by children and youth. The book is written as a resource on the changing internet environment to provide an account of how children currently use the internet in Europe. It includes such topical issues as social networking, risky contacts, parental mediation, and media literacy, among others.

As stated by the publisher, "children, young people, and their families tend to be at the forefront of new media adoption, benefiting from early take-up of new opportunities afforded by the internet, mobile and broadband content, online games and peer-to-peer technologies." Because the internet and new online technologies are becoming embedded in the lives of children and families, the editors attempt to address questions about the social implications and consequences. Each chapter has a pan-European focus, resulting in a comparative approach, distinct from a domain of research comprised of scattered national findings.