By Üsküdar Üniversitesi Human-Oriented Communication Application and Research Center (İLİMER), on the occasion of November 20 World Children's Rights Day , attention was drawn to children's visibility, safety, and right to participate in media and digital platforms.
Prof. Dr. Gül Esra Atalay: “The safety of children in the media ecosystem is our shared responsibility!”
“The privacy and protection of personal data of children must be a priority for all media organizations and digital platforms.”
The anniversary of the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted both the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of the Child on November 20, 1990, is celebrated annually as World Children's Rights Day. Within the scope of the day, Prof. Dr. Gül Esra Atalay, Director of Üsküdar Üniversitesi Human-Oriented Communication Application and Research Center, drew attention to children's visibility, safety, and right to participate in media and digital platforms.
How should children's visibility and safety be within the media ecosystem?
On the occasion of World Children's Rights Day, Prof. Dr. Gül Esra Atalay, Director of Üsküdar Üniversitesi Human-Oriented Communication, Application and Research Center, stated in her declaration, “We would like to reiterate our responsibilities regarding children's visibility, safety, and participation within the media ecosystem. While children are individuals who need protection, they also have rights to freedom of expression, access to information, and to be active citizens in the digital world. Therefore, in their interactions with all types of media messages and tools, children's vulnerability and their rights should be considered together, various measures should be meticulously taken, and supportive opportunities carefully planned, keeping the child's best interests in mind.”
Children's privacy and protection of personal data must be a priority
The statement noted that media and digital platforms play an important role in children's development, but also carry various significant risks, and included the following statements:
“Therefore:
-The privacy and protection of personal data of children must be a priority for all media organizations and digital platforms. Whether in news, fictional content, or online environments, the fact that a child is an individual with rights should not be overlooked under any circumstances.
Effective protection against harmful content should be provided
-Effective protection, filtering, and rapid intervention mechanisms against harmful content should be provided.
-Discriminatory, exploitative, or stereotypical content should be avoided in the representation of children, and children's dignity and integrity should be respected. Children's rights should not be ignored for the sake of sensational, attention-grabbing media content, and it should be remembered that such representations can negatively affect both children in media content and those in the audience.
-Media literacy should be an integral part of the education system in a way that strengthens children's critical thinking skills; it should be structured as continuous education suitable for different developmental levels from an early age.
Safe spaces for children to express their views should be supported
-Safe spaces where children can express their views should be supported in the media world; content production that gives voice to them should be encouraged. This content production should be carried out with a rights-based approach; algorithmic visibility criteria or viewership concerns should not override children's right to speak, and the focus should be on the child's freedom of expression.
-Considering children's right to access quality information, producing content that supports children's education should become a part of the current publishing policies of all media organizations and digital platforms.”
In her statement, Prof. Dr. Atalay said; “A media environment that strengthens children's rights benefits not only children but also the entire society. Today, we invite all institutions, families, educators, and media professionals to take shared responsibility for a child-friendly digital future.”