Places and Platforms
Studying emerging trends from the classroom to the chatroom
We study the physical and digital spaces young people spend their time. From schools to skate-parks, shops and social media, we’re looking at how technology can increase young people’s sense of identity and belonging. We’re interested in all the places young people frequent in their everyday lives, and how the intersection between those online and offline worlds can be targeted to enhance resilience and wellbeing. We’re also looking at emerging trends in mobile media, artificial intelligence, virtual reality and automation, and how these transform experiences of place — impacting the resilience of young people and their communities.
Check out some of our current and past projects below.
Decolonising Digital Design: Towards safe and inclusive digital experiences for children and young people
This project will explore how we can decolonise digital design to foster an inclusive, just and safe internet that empowers, values, and represents diverse children and young people.
The Digital Experiences of Australian Youth
A collaboration with the Telstra Foundation to establish a national baseline of young Australians’ perceptions and experiences of AI and identify how to support its safe and productive use.
Challenge Accepted? Young people, online risks and supporting their safety
Online challenges, often shared through social media platforms, are particularly with young people. This project provides parents and decision-makers – across corporate, government and non-government sectors – with the information they need to support young people to participate in positive and safe online spaces.
Children and Online Safety in the Pacific
Children, their families, and adult stakeholders in the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Kiribati and Fiji are helping us to map the challenges and opportunities presented by increased access to technology in the Pacific, to inform future child protection interventions and programs.
Children, Young People and Climate Change: Developing child-centred indicators for climate justice
A collaboration with UNICEF Australia to understand the views of young people in NSW on climate change and to co-develop child-centered indicators for climate justice.
Evaluating Online Safety Education: A Framework
We teamed up with UNICEF EAPRO consultants and children to research cyberbullying and online grooming indicators, and develop an indicator framework to understand if interventions result in behaviour change for child online protection.
Exploring Australian Intergenerational Social Media Perspectives
This project aims to understand how social media is integrated into everyday family life, the drivers of parental concerns surrounding young people’s social media use, identify support needs for diverse families, and explore the impact of restrictive social media policies.
Investigating Violence Against Children Online
Children in Cambodia, Malaysia, Kenya and Tanzania are informing UNICEF’s Disrupting Harm survey tool by sharing their experiences with digital technology experiences and online safety.