About the project
EU Kids Online investigates:
- children's use of digital media
- the opportunities and challenges that arise in children's everyday digital lives
- the knowledge and role of parents
- how and to what extent schools, teachers, friends, and various national conditions influence the digital welfare and daily lives of children and young people
EU Kids Online also provides research-based advice on the digital welfare of children and young people and informs national authorities, the EU, the UN, and other relevant stakeholders.
In 2025, EU Kids Online conducted a new international, representative, and comparative survey among children and young people aged 9-17. In Norway, parents of the children were also invited to participate. The survey is conducted in collaboration with over 100 researchers from 28 countries.
Topics in this round include internet use and access, digital skills, uncomfortable experiences, bullying and coping strategies, social media and gaming, artificial intelligence, sexual and harmful content, hate speech, excessive use, rights and privacy, safety, and parental mediation. We will also examine other factors affecting the well-being of children and young people, both at school, at home, and during their leisure time.
The survey has previously been conducted in 2011 and 2018, and the results have contributed to the development of initiatives and guidelines for a safer digital future for children in Norway and beyond.
The EU Kids Online network
EU Kids Online is a multinational research network aimed at enhancing knowledge about European children's digital opportunities, risks, and safety.
The network employs a variety of research methods to map children's and parents' experiences with the internet and seeks to build a comprehensive knowledge base that can inform national, European, and international policy measures to promote children's rights in the digital environment.
Principles of the EU Kids Online network
Our European researchers endorse the following principles in all our work:
High quality science
We conduct scientific research using rigorous and transparent methodologies appropriate to the research task, including to enable cross-country comparisons.
Ethical
We follow the highest standard of ethical principles and practices in research with children and young people.
Balanced analysis
We seek to be informed and balanced in our approach, and to critique overly optimistic, alarmist, moralistic or reductive accounts of technology’s impacts on children.
Evidence based policy
We actively seek to expand and deepen academic, policymaker and public understanding of children’s digital lives by promoting relevant and high-quality research, also noting research weaknesses and gaps as appropriate.
Open
We disseminate our findings fairly and honestly, using open-access and/or peer-reviewed outlets wherever possible.
Independence and transparency
We engage with multiple stakeholders, including government, policymakers, industry and civil society, sustaining an independent approach and avoiding conflicts of interest.
Integrity
We conduct all our research and collaborations with integrity, and to be transparent about our sources of funding.
Complimentary Projects
In addition to the main survey, a number of complimentary projects related to EU Kids Online will be conducted in 2025.
How Young People Understand Artificial Intelligence
This is an international research project aimed at gaining insight into how young people (ages 13-16) use and understand generative artificial intelligence.
Starting in February 2025, researchers from the University of Oslo (UiO) and the University of Agder (UiA) will begin interviewing 15 Norwegian teenagers for the project. Interviews will also be conducted simultaneously in at least 10 other European countries: Italy, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Ireland, Romania, Portugal, Spain, Germany, Poland, and Serbia.
We will analyze and compare responses both from youth in Norway and internationally and publish a report on the main findings during 2025.
The project is co-financed by the Ministry of Children and Families and is led by researchers at the University of Oslo and the University of Agder.
More information about the Norwegian part of the project can be obtained by contacting Niamh Ní Bhroin, Department of Nordic and Media Studies, University of Agder.
Political Socialization of Children and Young People
While the majority of previous research on the media’s influence on political attitudes, values, and knowledge during election campaigns has focused on the adult population, this study aims to investigate the impact of election campaigns on children and adolescents.
In this project, we will employ a research design that collects both quantitative and qualitative data at different points during the 2025 national election campaign in Norway (panel study). The expected start for data collection is April/May 2025.
Digital Parenting
In this project, we will repeat the study conducted in 2018-19 on digital parenting. In addition to findings from the representative survey among Norwegian children and their parents, we will conduct interviews with a selection of families where both parents and children will be interviewed together.
Data collection for the main EU Kids Online survey is expected to start in March 2025, and family interviews are planned to begin in September 2025.
Family Interviews
In this project, we will conduct interviews with a selection of families where parents and children will be interviewed together about how media and AI are integrated into their family life.
The themes for the interviews will be selected based on findings from the main EU Kids Online survey, as well as following up on the projects “How Young People Understand Artificial Intelligence” and “Political Socialization of Children and Young People.”
Data collection is expected to begin in September 2025.
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