Critical warning for children’s safety in the media!

On the occasion of World Children’s Rights Day on November 20, Üsküdar University Human-Centered Communication Practice and Research Center (İLİMER) drew attention to children’s visibility, safety, and participation rights in media and digital platforms.

Prof. Gül Esra Atalay: “Ensuring children’s safety within the media ecosystem is our shared responsibility!”

“The privacy and protection of children’s personal data must be a priority for all media organizations and digital platforms.”

World Children’s Rights Day is celebrated each year on the anniversary of November 20, 1990, when the United Nations General Assembly adopted both the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. As part of the day, Prof. Gül Esra Atalay, Director of Üsküdar University Human-Centered Communication Practice and Research Center, emphasized the importance of protecting children’s visibility, safety, and participation rights in media and digital environments.

How should children’s visibility and safety within the media ecosystem be ensured?

In her statement for World Children’s Rights Day, Prof. Gül Esra Atalay emphasized: “We would like to once again remind everyone of our responsibilities regarding children’s visibility, safety, and participation in the media ecosystem. Children are individuals who must be protected, yet at the same time, they have rights such as freedom of expression, access to information, and active citizenship in the digital world. Therefore, all interactions children establish with media content and tools must be approached with an awareness of both their vulnerability and their rights. Measures must be taken with utmost care, and supportive opportunities must be properly planned with the principle of the best interest of the child in mind.”

Children’s privacy and personal data must be a priority

The statement noted that while media and digital platforms play a significant role in children’s development, they also contain various important risks:

“Therefore:

- Children’s privacy and protection of their personal data must be a priority for all media organizations and digital platforms. Whether in news coverage, fictional productions, or online environments, the fact that the child is a rights-bearing individual must never be overlooked.”

Effective protection from harmful content must be ensured

- Effective protection, filtering, and rapid response mechanisms against harmful content must be implemented.

- Discriminatory, exploitative, or stereotypical depictions of children should be avoided, and children’s dignity and integrity must be respected. Sensational or attention-grabbing media content should never come at the expense of children’s rights. It must be remembered that such representations can negatively affect both the children portrayed in the content and those who watch it.

- Media literacy must become an essential part of the education system to strengthen children’s critical thinking skills and should be structured as a continuous training appropriate to different developmental stages starting from early ages.

Safe spaces for children to express their opinions must be supported

- Safe spaces for children to express their views should be supported in the media sphere, and the production of content that amplifies children’s voices should be encouraged. Such content must be produced with a rights-based approach; algorithmic visibility criteria or viewership concerns should not overshadow children’s right to be heard, and the focus must always remain on the child’s freedom of expression.

- Considering children’s right to access quality information, producing content that supports their education should become a standard part of the publishing policies of all media organizations and digital platforms.”

In her concluding remarks, Prof. Atalay stated: “A media environment that strengthens children’s rights benefits not only children but society as a whole. Today, we invite all institutions, families, educators, and media professionals to share responsibility for building a child-friendly digital future.”