Professor Sonia Livingstone

Digital Futures for Children (DFC) is a joint LSE and 5Rights research centre, directed by Prof Livingstone and based in the Department of Media and Communications. The centre will support an evidence base for advocacy, facilitate dialogue between academics and policymakers and amplify children's voices, in accordance with the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child’s General comment No. 25.

A collaboration with the 5Rights Foundation, this applied research project is working to put children’s interests at the centre of the design of the digital world.

A multi-method study of the mental health risks and benefits of digital technology use.

Led by Upcom, euCONSENT is an EU-funded research and development initiative bringing together twelve partners including academic institutions, NGOs and technology providers to design, deliver and pilot a new Europe-wide system for online age verification and parental consent.

EU Kids Online

EU Kids Online is a multinational research network. It seeks to enhance knowledge of European children's online opportunities, risks and safety. It uses multiple methods to map children's and parents' experience of the internet, in dialogue with national and European policy stakeholders.

Global Kids Online

Global Kids Online is an international research project that aims to generate and sustain a rigorous cross-national evidence base around children’s use of the internet by creating a global network of researchers and experts, and a research and impact toolkit, to inform and promote children’s rights in the digital age.

Funded by CHANSE/ESRC, PlatFAMs examines the embeddedness of digital platforms in the lives and practices of modern families by researching three-generations (children, parents, grandparents) in five European countries (Norway, Estonia, UK, Romania and Spain).

This project investigates family practices and attitudes around very young children’s internet use in Australia and the United Kingdom with the aim of developing recommendations for policy makers and offering guidelines for parents of young children.

The project involves longitudinal research with children aged 12 to 17 to offer evidence on how to enhance and maximise long-term positive impacts of the ICT environment on multiple aspects of children’s well-being by stimulating resilience through the enhancement of digital skills.

Research will address how the digital environment influences brain development and function, mental health and mental health problems, risk behaviours, bullying, loneliness and social isolations and also how digital technologies can be harnessed to promote positive behaviours and mental well-being.

Funded by the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office, this project led by Prof Sonia Livingstone seeks to address questions and evidence gaps concerning children’s conception of privacy online.

To examine how children's rights to provision, protection and participation are being enhanced or undermined in the digital age, this project aims to build on current evidence of online risks and opportunities for children worldwide.

The Class

This ethnographic research project examined the emerging mix of on- and offline experiences in teenagers’ daily learning lives. The team focused on the fluctuating web of peer-to-peer networks that may cut across institutional boundaries, adult values and established practices of learning and leisure. The book is here.

Towards a pan-European knowledge platform on the effects of digital technologies on children and young people. CO:RE examines children’s digital experiences relating to their health, lifestyles, participation and digital citizenship, well-being, safety, and security. The LSE team coordinates the theoretical dimension of the research.

This project examined the role that communication plays in promoting and hindering community among London’s diverse populations. Read the final report here.

Connected Learning Research Network

This interdisciplinary research network is dedicated to understanding the opportunities and risks for learning afforded by today's changing media ecology, as well as building new learning environments that support effective learning and educational equity. Read the final report here.

DigiLitEY

This COST Action is examining children’s digital literacy skills as they engage with the latest technologies including wearable technologies, 3D printers, robots, augmented reality apps, toys and games and the Internet of Things.

Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE)

This nine-year (2015-2024) mixed methods longitudinal research and evaluation programme is following the lives of adolescents in diverse Global South contexts. Read the report on digital media.

In light of raising concerns about advertising practices targeting children, the study examined children's exposure to online marketing content in social media, online games and applications. Read the final report here.

Makerspaces in the early years: Enhancing digital literacy and creativity. This research network aims to further research and innovation in the area of young children’s digital literacy and creative design skills.

Media Consumption and the Future of Public Connection

This project examined the relationship between consumption and citizenship, asking whether and, if so, how, people's media consumption gives them the resources to connect to wider publics. Read the final report, and the resulting book.

Funded by UKRI (ESRC), this network is researching how the digital environment intersects with the traditional influences on children – family, school, peers. The aim is to build new practice models to improve children and young people’s mental health outcomes.

Funded by the NSPCC, this project reviewed the evidence related to outcomes and effectiveness for children’s helplines so as to inform the future planning of effective service delivery.

This qualitative and quantitative research project investigated how children and young people, along with their parents, carers, mentors and educators imagine and prepare for their personal and work futures in a digital age. The work is being blogged at www.parenting.digital.

This project (2004-2008) asked how consumers are now represented within the new culture of regulation and, on the other hand, how consumers themselves understand their changing role within communications and financial service regulation.

For previous research projects, see Professor Livingstone's CV (available on request).

Postgraduate teaching

Professor Livingstone convenes the popular postgraduate course . Her new course is Children, Youth and Media. She has also contributed lectures to team-taught graduate-level Media and Communications courses relating to theories and concepts (MC408/MC418) and research methodologies (MC4M1/MC4M2).

Doctoral supervision

Professor Livingstone supervises doctoral candidates researching questions of children and media, and audiences and publics in the changing digital media landscape, and has successfully supervised 25 PhDs. Her current supervisees include Zoë Glatt, Rodrigo Muñoz-González, Gianfranco Polizzi, Hao Wu, Ssu-Han Yu, Yang Zhou and Runze Hu.

'World-leading' impact case study

Professor Livingstone's impact case study Realising children's rights in a digital world was judged 'world-leading' in the UK's most recent research excellence exercise, 'REF 2021'.

Recent knowledge exchange and impact work

Recent selected reports resulting from Professor Livingstone's knowledge exchange and impact work are listed below:

• LSE Media Policy Project (2019) Morton, S., et al. (2019) Children’s experiences online: building global understanding and action. UNICEF Office of Research - Innocenti, Florence. An independent evaluation of Global Kids Online.
• LSE Media Policy Project (2018) What does the European General Data Protection Regulation mean for children in the UK? Roundtable report, London: LSE Media Policy Project. See a blog on this roundtable and report.
• Livingstone, S. and Livingstone, S., Lansdown, G., and Third, A. (2017) The Case for a UNCRC General Comment on Children’s Rights and Digital Media. A report prepared for the Children’s Commissioner for England. London: Office of the Children’s Commissioner.
• House of Lords: Select Committee on Communications (2017), Growing up with the Internet, 2^ndreport of session 2016-17. HL Paper 130. (Special advisor).
• Livingstone, S., Davidson, J. & Bryce, J., with Batool, S. Haughton, C., & Nandi, A. (2017) Children’s online activities, risks and safety A literature review by the UKCCIS Evidence Group. London: Department of Digital, Media, Culture and Sport.
• Livingstone, S., Nandi, A., Banaji, S., and Stoilova, M. (2017) Young adolescents and digital media uses, risks and opportunities in low- and middle-income countries: A rapid evidence review. DFID/ODI: Gender and Adolescence, Global Evidence.
• Blum-Ross, A. and Livingstone, S. (2016) Families and screen time: current advice and emerging research. LSE Media Policy Project, Media Policy Brief 17. LSE: London, UK.
• Byrne, J., Kardefelt-Winther, D., Livingstone, S. and Stoilova, M. (2016) Global Kids Online: children's rights in the digital age: synthesis report. Global Kids Online, London, UK.
• Nash, V., Adler, J.R., Horvath, A.H., Livingstone, S., Marston, C., Owen, G., Wright, J. (2016) Identifying the routes by which children view pornography online: implications for future policy-makers seeking to limit viewing. Report of Expert Panel for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. London: DCMS.
• Livingstone, S., Carr, J., and Byrne, J. (2015) One in three: The task for global internet governance in addressing children’s rights. Global Commission on Internet Governance: Paper Series. London: CIGI and Chatham House.
• Livingstone, S., and Mason, J. (2015) Sexual rights and sexual risks among youth online: A review of existing knowledge regarding children and young people’s developing sexuality in relation to new media environments. A report commissioned by eNACSO, the European NGO Alliance for Child Safety Online, Rome.
• McDougall, J., and Livingstone, S., with Sefton-Green, J., and Fraser, P. (2014) Media and Information Literacy Policies in the UK. Report for COST (Transforming Audiences, Transforming Societies).
• Ito, M., Gutiérrez, K., Livingstone, S., Penuel, B., Rhodes, J., Salen, K., Schor, J., Sefton-Green, J., and Watkins, C. (2013). Connected learning: an agenda for research and design. Irvine, CA: Digital Media and Learning Research Hub.
• Livingstone, S., and Bulger, M. (2013) A Global Agenda for Children’s Rights in the Digital Age: Recommendations for Developing UNICEF's Research Strategy. Florence: UNICEF Office of Research.
• Bulger, M., and Livingstone, S. (2013) Media literacy research and policy in Europe: A review of recent, current and planned activities.Report of a seminar organised by the COST Transforming Audiences, Transforming SocietiesAction, Brussels.
• Ringrose, J., Gill, R., Livingstone, S., and Harvey, L. (2012) A qualitative study of children, young people and ‘sexting’: A report prepared for the NSPCC.
• Panel Member (2009, December) The Impact of the Commercial World on Children's Wellbeing: Report of an Independent Assessment. London: Department for Children, Schools and Families.
• Livingstone, S. (2008) Contribution to main text, and author of Appendix B, of the Home Office Task Force on Child Protection on the Internet’s Good Practice Guidance for Social Networking and User Interactive Services. Revised (2010) as guidance by the UK Council for Child Internet Safety.
• Bradbrook, G., Alvi, I., Fisher, J., Lloyd, H., Moore, R., Thompson, V., Brake, D., Helsper, E., and Livingstone, S. (2008) Meeting their potential: the role of education and technology in overcoming disadvantage and disaffection in young people. London: Becta.
• Livingstone, S. (2006) New research on advertising foods to children: An updated review of the literature.Prepared for the Research Department of the Office of Communications (Ofcom), January. Annex 9, Television Advertising of Food and Drink Products to Children.

Professor Livingstone's YouTube videosrelating to screen time, children’s rights online and parenting the digital. Here’s a good overview. See Professor Livingstone’s TED Talk on Parenting in a Digital Age and a recent podcastfor the FT’s Tech Tonic.

Professor Livingstone's blog on all things parenting/childhood/digital media is at www.parenting.digital– contributions to this are welcome, so do email her with suggestions. Professor Livingstone also blogs on media policy, internet governance and children’s rights on the LSE Media Policy Projectblog.

You can follow her on Twitter @Livingstone_S.