Tag: #children

The Better Phone Project: First phone co-created for children by parents to protect their mental wellbeing

Tech innovator HMD is creating a phone as an alternative for a smartphone to give parents control over their child’s screen time and social media use.

The aim is to preserve the mental health of the next generation with a phone parents have co-created in order to protect their children and provide better balance.

The digital detox space is one HMD is familiar with having spearheaded the dumbphone trend by reimagining feature phone classics for the modern consumer seeking to limit their screen time and social media use.

The phone manufacturer is now seeking to work with parents to co-create a phone and other new solutions which will serve as credible substitutes for a smartphone and give parents control over their child’s screen time and social media use.

It is hoped the new device will also appeal to Generation Z who have embraced the digital detox space.

HMD is also working with a number of experts, campaigners and parent support groups to better understand the solutions needed. All will be involved in global webinars and forums to ensure collaboration and co-creation is at the heart of HMD’s The Better Phone Project. They can sign-up to be involved at https://www.hmd.com/en_int/better-phone-project

Lars Silberbauer, CMO of HMD, said: “The Better Phone Project is a journey to discovering a variety of solutions that tackle digital overload, providing choice and balance.  Our goal is to collaborate with parents and experts to develop solutions that truly meet people’s needs, driving innovation in this space.”

As part of The Better Phone Project, HMD commissioned new global research to provide insight into the dilemmas parents face when it comes to their children and smartphone use.1

The findings revealed 11 is the average age when a parent hands over a smartphone to their child for the first time – but many confessed they wished they had waited longer.

 

The worldwide survey of 10,000 parents in the UK, US, India, Germany and Australia found more than half of those questioned said they regret exposing their child to a smartphone at such a young age. A third of those who responded cited the negative effects of the device and changes in personality as the key reasons for this. Concerns have been raised consistently about the impact social media apps, which often go hand-in-hand with smartphones, have on children.

A staggering 70% of parents questioned admitted their smartphone-free childhood meant they engaged more with their family – however, it is quality time their children don’t experience: 55% say their child’s phone use is a source of big arguments and a third have cried over their child’s phone obsession.

Some 64% of parents questioned said smartphone use negatively impacts their child’s sleep, 61% think it reduces the amount of physical activity they take, and more than half (54%) worried that it will reduce the amount of time they spend socialising with friends.

With more than half of parents agreeing smartphones can have a positive impact on their children and benefit them educationally – including allowing them to keep in touch with friends – parents clearly face a dilemma.

Tech innovator HMD is now striving to understand these challenges and offer a suite of new and innovative solutions which could work for parents, their children, Generation Z or anyone who is looking for credible alternatives to a smartphone.

HMD is also keen to work with anyone who is interested in this subject and would like to be part of the journey to create change and new solutions. They can sign-up to be involved at https://www.hmd.com/en_int/better-phone-project (URL will go live on 24 July).

Other key points to emerge from the global survey include almost 75% of parents fearing smartphones expose their children to internet dangers, with more than half admitting they don’t know what their children get up to when using their phones.

Almost half of parents believe mobile phone use has changed their child’s personality, with a third claiming their child has body image issues due to their phones.

Joe Ryrie Co-founder of Smartphone Free Childhood said: “We’re delighted that HMD is committed to addressing the glaring gap in the market for child-friendly phones through this project. Their research into children and smartphones is yet more evidence of the impossible position that parents find themselves in today; We either give our children access to a device they might not be ready for, or choose not to and risk alienating them from their peers.

“It’s an issue that the 100,000+ parents who’ve joined our community since February are battling with on a daily basis, and we know that solving it requires a collaborative effort between parents, children, government and tech companies.

“Parents in our community are crying out for a phone which is desirable to children but isn’t designed to steal their attention. So we’re very excited about collaborating with HMD to help define what a modern child-friendly phone should be.”

ISPCC honoured with award for ‘hard-hitting campaign that exposed truth about childhood in Ireland

ISPCC has received the top accolade for the Best Short-Term Media Campaign at the Awards for Excellence in Public Relations for its campaign ‘For some children, Christmas doesn’t happen’.

The awards, which have been co-hosted by the Public Relations Consultants Association Ireland (PRCA) and the Public Relations Institute of Ireland (PRII) for the past 30 years, recognise the best in Irish public relations, public affairs and internal communications across the public and private sectors.

There had been an initial 37 submissions in ISPCC’s category, which was then short-listed to a group of five finalists.

The judges said that it was a close contest, “but the winning entry was a hard-hitting campaign that showed no fear of exposing harsh truths about childhood in Ireland.”

They added that “this was a strategic and well-planned campaign, with excellent use of research and timing. Challenging objectives were clearly achieved with tangible results.

Kudos to an in-house team that surely worked long hours over the holidays period.”

Deirdre McNamara, ISPCC Head of Marketing and Communications, said that “ISPCC was delighted to see our campaign recognised by our peers. This achievement is testament to the amazing work of everyone at ISPCC.

“For too many children and young people, Christmas is sadly just another day. For some, the issues they encounter all year can worsen. It can mean abuse, neglect and loneliness.

For others, Christmas can present new worries and concerns.  Whatever the reason, they turn to Childline for support and for someone to listen.”

“At Childline we rely heavily on public generosity to help us to be here for every child who needs us.  We depend on this generosity to keep us listening 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days of the year.”

  • To support Childline and help keep volunteers listening to children and young people, please support the Childline Summer appeal and donate at www.ispcc.ie.

Google.org extends support to Barnardos to help make the internet safer for children

Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google, has announced that it is extending its support to children’s charity Barnardos by providing an additional $1 million of grant funding to promote safe internet use for children and teens across Ireland.

The announcement follows the success of the initial Online Safety Programme launched by Barnardos in 2019 with €1 million in grant funding from Google.org. Over the past five years, more than 3,000 workshops in 700 schools across Ireland have reached over 90,000 students, and delivered over 2,000 parent workshops on online safety nationwide.

The new grant will enable Barnardos to extend the programme to children aged between 10 and 15 and will address new areas including AI. The new programme will also see Barnardos working in collaboration for the first time to help shape the programme with Webwise, leading online safety organisation and Media Literacy Ireland, Ireland’s media literacy network.

Speaking at the launch, Mindy Brooks, Senior Director, General Manager for Kids and Families, Google said:

“The internet is laden with opportunity and promise for young people, but education on how to confidently and safely explore the online world is crucial. Our work with Barnardos has been incredibly impactful across primary schools in Ireland. It’s important that we continue to collaborate to develop the correct tools and training for both young people and their parents to ensure ongoing education. This new grant from Google.org empowers Barnardos to not only reach more young people but also to roll out innovative solutions to emerging issues.”

Suzanne Connolly, CEO, Barnardos said:

“Over the last five years we have seen high levels of engagement with our Online Safety Programme supported by Google.org. The workshops have been very well received with 85% of children stating they found the workshops useful and 98% of teachers stating they would recommend the programme to other schools. This new grant allows us to extend both the reach and scope of the Online Safety Programme. We are especially excited by the collaboration with Media Literacy Ireland and Webwise, which will allow for a first of its kind co-creation of materials between different organisations.”

With this grant Barnardos plans to expand its current Online Safety Programme to include:

  • Collaboration with Webwise and Media Literacy Ireland in the design and delivery of its Online Safety Programme

  • Development of a virtual programme for delivery online to significantly increase the scale and reach of the programme

  • Adapting the existing Online Safety Programme for an older audience and delivery within secondary schools for students in 1st to 3rd years

  • Adapting the programme for use in youth and community settings as well as schools

  • Designing a Crisis Incident Response to provide advice and practical support to schools where a significant incident of online bullying or abuse has occurred

  • Organising conferences on topics of interest and engage in research to further the charity’s understanding of issues surrounding online safety and digital literacy

The grant was announced today at the Google “Growing Up in the Digital Age” Summit, which convened experts from industry, academia, government and civil society to discuss how young people can be protected, respected and empowered online. The summit was hosted by the Google Safety Engineering

Center (GSEC) in Dublin.

The Online Safety programme will be rolled out in secondary schools from September 2024 to complement our ongoing work in primary schools. A virtual programme will be rolled out in 2025. Schools can contact Onlinesafety@barnardos.ie for more information or to enquire about booking a workshop for their school.

Helping children & young people reflect, recognise and reset- Safer Internet Day Turns 21

Celebrated in more than 180 countries worldwide, today, February 6th marks the 21st anniversary of Safer Internet Day, which has become a landmark global event in the online safety calendar. The theme for Safer Internet Day 2024 is ‘Tech in our World’ and through a series of events taking place involving 200,000 children and young people from schools and organisations across Ireland, will explore the role of digital technology in young people’s lives, their views on new and emerging technology and the changes they would like to see enacted online.
Safer Internet Day 2024 kicks off today with an event hosted in Microsoft’s Dream Space and will feature contributions from the Webwise Youth Advisory Panel; Niamh Hodnett, Online Safety Commissioner; Kieran McCorry, National Technology Officer, Microsoft, and Dr Emma Murphy, School of Computer Science – TU Dublin.  The session will also include interactive stakeholders’ discussions that will explore some of the opportunities and challenges as they relate to the role of the internet and digital technology in young people’s lives.

Webwise Youth Panellist Billie Constantinou, 19, said:‘We live in a world where internet technology is constantly evolving, one where we wake up with new AI capabilities, new apps and new trends every single day. To discuss tech in our world, we must understand that the future is uncertain and being able to adapt in tandem with this advancing online technology is a key skill in ensuring our safety in this every changing world.’

The themes that will be explored at today’s event will encourage schools, children, teens and parents to:

  • Reflect: an opportunity to reflect on tech in their world, the challenges, opportunities and big changes.
  • Recognise: give learners an understanding of the influence of digital technology in their daily life, exploring the concept of persuasive design and the influence of algorithms.
  • Reset: learn tips to help reset online experiences and empower young people to make the most of their online world.

Niamh Hodnett, Online Safety Commissioner said: “I am delighted to celebrate my first Safer Internet Day as Online Safety Commissioner by taking part in Webwise’s ‘Tech in our World’ session. Safer Internet Day is a great chance for me to hear the views of young people on the role technology plays in their lives. It is also an opportunity to highlight the work of Coimisiún na Meán including preparing our first Online Safety Code, as part of our overall online safety framework. I would especially like to commend the essential work of the Irish Safer Internet Centre in supporting parents, children and teachers in navigating the online world in a safe and responsible way through the work of Webwise, the ISPCC, the National Parents Council and Hotline.ie.”

Minister for Education Norma Foley T.D. said:“Safer Internet Day is a day in which we focus on promoting the safer use of the internet by children. 

 We acknowledge the great work of our schools. We salute too the work of Webwise and the Oide Support Service for Teachers, who provide additional resources and training to schools and webinars for parents to support them in keeping their children safe on the internet.

 “Of course, we’re also very keen that parents would continue to engage with the guidelines that have been presented around the use of smartphones for young people in primary schools.”

Safer Internet Day in Ireland is coordinated by the Irish Safer Internet Centre, a partnership between Webwise, ISPCC, National Parents Council and Hotline.ie, providing a range of complementary online safety services, including an education and awareness centre, child and parent helplines and a hotline. The Centre is coordinated by the Department of Justice and co-funded by the European Union.

 

Irish Safer Internet Centre

The Irish Safer Internet Centre is a partnership of four leading organisations – Webwise, Hotline.ie, ISPCC and National Parents Council, with a mission to make the Internet a better place for children and young people, under the coordination of the Department of Justice – Cybercrime Division. The Irish Safer Internet Centre partner organisations work towards a shared mission of making the internet a safer and more inclusive place for children and young people.

 

Webwise is the online safety initiative of the Department of Education and co-funded by the European Commission. Webwise promotes safer, better internet use through awareness raising and education initiatives targeting teachers, children, young people and parents. Webwise develops and disseminates resources that help teachers integrate digital citizenship and online safety into teaching and learning in their schools. Webwise also provides information, advice, and tools to parents to support their engagement in their children’s online lives. Webwise is part of Oide, a new support service for teachers and school leaders, funded from the Department of Education.
Hotline.ie is Ireland’s primary national channel for members of the public to anonymously and confidentially report suspected illegal content online, such as child sexual abuse material, technology facilitated child sexual exploitation – child grooming, non-consensual sharing of intimate images and videos (also known as intimate image abuse), racism and xenophobia, and financial scams. Further information can be found here.
ISPCC operates the Childline Listening Service, Ireland’s only 24-hour active listening service for children and young people. The service is here to listen to children, to support and empower them and to help to strengthen their resilience so they can cope with any challenges they face. Any child or young person can contact Childline for free and in confidence, at any time, to talk about any issue on their mind. The service can be reached online at Childline.ie or calling 1800 66 66 66. Parents/caregivers can check out the Digital Ready Hub to upskill their knowledge on the digital environment.

 

National Parents Council (NPC) provides a dedicated helpline to support parents and carers in dealing with issues relating to online safety, including cyberbullying. The National Parents Council also provides parents with training courses, both online and face-to-face. Further information about the National Parents Council Helpline can be found here. 

Revolut research finds that parents with children are thought to be most impacted by inflation

New research by Revolut, the global financial super app with more than 2 million customers in Ireland, has delved into the impacts of inflation. The majority of people in Ireland think prices will continue to go up this year, with parents with children being most impacted compared to other household types.

Revolut recently reported that the average consumer in Ireland is spending 17.8% more, year on year. However, the survey of 1,000 people in Ireland found that 56% of people think prices will go up even more this year. In contrast, 15% think prices will go down in 2023, with 18-24 year olds being the most optimistic with 31% thinking prices will go down. 45-54 year olds are the most pessimistic as 63% think prices will increase further this year.

When asked which types of households those polled think are most impacted by inflation and high prices, 69% of people said parents with children. Despite some expenses such as children’s clothing only increasing by 5.8% year on year, the number of customers paying for child care services has gone up 185%, year on year, likely due to the relaxation of covid restrictions.

Other answers of which households are most affected by inflation include retired people (36%), students living with roommates (30%), and singles (24%). As supermarket spending has increased 14.3%, price rises are impacting all walks of life.

Furthermore, salaries haven’t kept up with inflation according to the research, as only 10% said they had a pay rise last year to match inflation. Overall, 37% of people said their salary didn’t increase last year. 21% said their salary wasn’t increased and don’t think it will rise this year either. Only 5% of people said that although their salary didn’t increase last year, they will negotiate it this year, and 7% think their salary will increase this year. However, 3% said their salary decreased last year.

24% of those surveyed said their salary had increased, but below the rate of inflation. 10% said their salary was raised last year above the inflation rate. But, the data also shows women have been at a disadvantage as 16% of men said their salary was raised above the rate of inflation, but only 5% of women said this was also the case for them too.

The research, carried out by Dynata in January, found that Dublin led the way with salary increases, where 12.8% said their salary was increased above the inflation rate in the last year. However, 28.7% of people in Connaught said their salary was not increased, and don’t think it will be in 2023.

The survey revealed that if those polled were given an extra 10,000 EUR, 15% would spend it on essentials before prices go up further. 15% would save it, 13% would put it aside in a current account they have easy access to, and 11% would spend it on experiences such as travelling.

The average person in Ireland is spending 20.7% more on travel overall, year on year. In January, spending on hotels (35.8%) and airlines (55.5%) increased, year on year. Spending on cruises increased by 144.5% and saw a 39.9% increase in the number of customers making bookings.

The rise of inflation has meant that 38% of people in Ireland are looking to save more money for a rainy day. 36% feel the rise of inflation has taught them how to consume less overall, 13% are looking to focus their money on experiences rather than material goods.

Despite the rise in the cost of living, Revolut recently reported that consumers in Ireland have boosted their generosity. Donations to charity increased by 14.6%, and 8.9% more people gave to charity in January 2023, compared to January the previous year. The survey suggests these figures could grow further, as 18% of people plan to donate more this year than in previous years.

A Revolut spokesperson said: “Our research gives insights into how the rise in cost of living is affecting the priorities of consumers. People in Ireland are ensuring that essentials and saving take precedence. However, travel and experiences continue to be sought after by consumers, as people look to visit new destinations after a turbulent couple of years for the travel industry. It’s also positive to see that as inflation rises, the generosity of people increases as many look to donate more to charities this year to help those less fortunate.”

UNICEF youth advocate Donnacha Lenehan meets Taoiseach to highlight growing online risks facing children

A UNICEF Ireland youth advocate today met the Taoiseach to highlight the growing online risks facing children. Sixteen-year-old Donnacha Lenehan spent the day at Government buildings with Taoiseach Micheál Martin to voice his concerns about issues like online privacy, disinformation and the mental health impacts of social media, as well as to call for greater protection for children online.

Like many young people of his generation, Donnacha spends much of his free time online, experiencing both its opportunities and risks. And as a passionate advocate for protecting children’s rights, Donnacha won UNICEF Ireland’s 2022 #KidsTakeOver competition and had the opportunity to share his message directly with the Taoiseach.

Speaking following the meeting, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said: “Digital and online platforms offer immense opportunities for social connections and learning, but they also pose challenges and risks, especially for our young people. I really enjoyed meeting Donnacha today and hearing his important message – that we should all be aware of the risks of social media, and work to ensure that every child is safe and thrives online. The childhoods that Donnacha and his peers are experiencing are profoundly different to those of the generations before them. We do need to reflect on how children and young people are being influenced and impacted by social media and everyone involved needs to be accountable and responsible for ensuring that children and young people are protected online.”

For Donnacha the meeting with the Taoiseach offered him a unique opportunity to highlight the experiences of children and young people online, “I was delighted to be able to share my perspectives and experience with the Taoiseach. As young people, we depend on the Internet. We use it constantly. We connect with friends. We work and play on it. We use it to create new things and to contribute to communities we are interested in. However, like most things, the Internet, and social media in particular, has its downsides. My main point today was that I feel social media is having a bigger impact on the real world than many people think.”

In a constantly changing online world, and with research into the impacts of online use still unclear, Donnacha feels strongly that children and young people need more protection, especially on social media. “We rely on social media to communicate and socialise. But that dependency also makes children and young people extremely vulnerable to scams, doxing, and cyberbullying, which is becoming a lot more common. Social media is designed to be extremely addictive and I question how positive that is for our physical and mental health. A real danger of social media is that is so new and we don’t fully understand how it works on our brains and the long-term effects it may have on us.”

In his meeting with the Taoiseach, Donnacha spoke about the opportunity that Ireland has, as home to many of the world’s leading social media companies, to take a lead on protecting children online from issues like disinformation. “Another big issue is disinformation. We’ve seen in recent years how it causes fear, hate, uncertainty and divides us during the most troubling times – potentially threatening democracy and our society. In many ways, our experience on social media is influenced by algorithms that are designed to meet the business models of the technology companies – not the interests of our society. However, many of these companies have their European Headquarters here in Ireland. And therefore, does Ireland not have a responsibility to ensure their practices meet the highest standards in terms of protecting children’s rights? We have the power to act and Ireland should lead, not follow.”

Heralding Donnacha’s message that all children should be enabled to thrive in a digital environment, UNICEF Ireland Executive Director Peter Power said: “Donnacha powerfully articulates some of the risks and dangers that his generation is experiencing online, and we commend him for raising these important issues with the Taoiseach today. More research is required to fully understand the impact of social media use on children. However, what we know is that Governments and social media companies must be accountable for children’s health and safety online. We thank the Taoiseach for welcoming Donnacha today, and we welcome the Government’s Online Safety and Media Regulation (OSMR) Bill 2022 currently going through the Dáil, along with the recent introduction of the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA). These frameworks now need to be properly resourced in order to ensure companies fulfil their responsibilities and act in the best interests, and rights of every child.”

Donnacha’s #KidsTakeOver of the Taoiseach’s office comes a few days after UNICEF’s World Children’s Day on November 20. World Children’s Day is a day ‘for children, by children’, when children from around the world take over, as part of UNICEF’s global #KidsTakeOver initiative, key roles in media, politics, business, sport and entertainment to express their concerns about what global leaders should be focusing on.

According to UNICEF, around the world, children are going online earlier and staying online for longer. This is happening during a period when children are increasingly exposed to embedded and invisible technologies, including algorithms, predictive analytics systems, and even location trackers – that potential violating their rights.

Between 2010 and 2020, the time children spend online almost doubled in many countries. Recent research has found that the majority of children with smartphones report that they use them “almost all the time” to connect, especially on social media. Meanwhile, the numbers of children highlighting online risks is also significant. Globally, 1 in 3 children report experiencing online bullying. And in 2020, 33 per cent of girls and 20 per cent of boys in Europe reported experiencing disturbing content online at least once a month.

Protecting children online and increasing their access to digital learning and other opportunities is also a strong focus of UNICEF’s work all over the world, and UNICEF is helping build the evidence base on children’s digital rights to better understand how the digital transformation of society is influencing children’s lives and wellbeing.

Children’s Rights Alliance to launch new online safety campaign. #onlinesafety

The Children’s Rights Alliance will launch their new online safety campaign tomorrow, Tuesday 13th July 2021 at 10am with a virtual event.

The campaign calls for Government action to make the online world safer for children and young people by appointing a well-resourced Online Safety Commissioner with an independent, individual complaints mechanism for when online platforms fail to adequately or appropriately deal with an individual’s complaint.

Commenting in advance, Tanya Ward, Chief Executive of the Children’s Rights Alliance, said: “It’s simply not good enough that Government is contemplating putting an Online Safety Commissioner in place with no teeth to help individual children and young people who are up against big tech. These companies are making massive profits and failing to invest in online safety measures. It’s time to stand up for children and young people and actually put an Online Safety Commissioner in place that has the power to take on and resolve individual complaints from children and young people.”

The speakers at the event include:

  • Julie Ahern, Legal and Policy Manager, Children’s Rights Alliance
  • Peter Tyndall, Ombudsman and Information Commissioner for Ireland
  • Karen McAuley, Head of Policy at the Ombudsman for Children’s Office
  • Noeline Blackwell, CEO of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre
  • The event will be chaired by children’s rights campaigner and former Senator Jillian van Turnhout

To register to attend please visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/what-will-the-online-safety-osmr-bill-mean-for-children-and-young-people-tickets-161917247847

Tech Review – imoo Ear-care Headset: The World’s First Open Ear Wireless Headphones For Children. #imoo #kids

Need some headphones for your kids that are durable well these are certainly something to check out right now, even from my own perspective on them these are rather good in the audio department and pack some punch but keeping it safe for your kids ears and perhaps something I should look into myself maxing out my earbuds and headphones all the time.

My daughter has taken enough of my headphones and earbuds and they do not last long but she still has some of them intact now but this is why these are the ideal situation for kids being a durable product with not much tech know how need to operate as they are limited with functions as you will see in the video review below.

Why buy these ..

Designed To Promote Hearing Health

Built to ensure Volumes are always at a suitable level for children, the imoo Ear-care Headset’s volume maxes out at 85dB to meet World Health Organisation recommendations to protect children’s ears from early hearing damage.

Made To Keep Children Safe

Allowing children to hear their surroundings when they are using the headset so whenever they are on their way home, in the playground or at the park, the imoo Ear-care Headset always has safety in mind because it is designed to make sure children are aware of what is around them.

 

Clear And Precise Audio

The imoo Ear-care Headset gives the best quality sound of any audio device made exclusively for children, they will be expected to hear crystal clear sound sent directly to their ear canals while also ensuring their privacy when they use it. This is possible because of the exclusive soundbeaming speakers.

Built For Comfort

With a comfortable design, the imoo Ear-care Headset has a first of its kind outer ear design, especially built for children and made to directionally transmit sound to children’s ears for a truly unique experience that is always stable on their heads.

 

Key features and specifications:

 

  • 16.2mm Large-size Soundbeaming Speaker
  • Infrared wearing sensor for automatic start and pause
  • IP54 Dust-proof and water-resistant
  • Extremely Lightweight and Anti-allergy Materials
  • Strong and sturdy design built to stay on children’s heads
  • Bluetooth 5.0 with up to 10m of range.
  • 8 Hour Battery Life
  • 1 Hour Quick Charge

Pricing:  EUR: €49  GBP: £49  USD: $59 AUD: A$79

BUY HERE

Unique Website Helps Children and Parents Worldwide to Prepare for Hospitalization

Every year, millions of children around the world are admitted to hospital for having anaesthesia and surgery. Many of them experience preoperative anxiety which negatively affects both their hospital experience and medical outcome, as well as their future relationships with healthcare services from both a short-term and long-term point of view.

Unfortunately, hospital-related stress and anxiety among children and adolescents are often caused by a lack of preparation and understanding of the situation ahead. This despite the well-known fact that up to 60 percent of children show signs of severe anxiety when entering the operating room, Gunilla Lööf says, Nurse Anaesthetist and researcher at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. With personal experiences of being forced to undergo medical procedures scared and unprepared as a child, Gunilla has spent much of her professional life preparing children and their parents for hospital stays.

In terms of impact, preoperative anxiety affects the child negatively in a short-term perspective with increased nervousness, pain and analgesic requirements during the hospital stay, but also from a long-term point of view with temper tantrums, sleeping difficulties, enuresis and food disorders, Gunilla says. Even though the frequency of negative behaviour is limited and decreases over time for most children, almost 10 percent of them still suffer a year after the hospitalization.

Unfortunately, lack of information, preparation and understanding cause significant stress and anxiety during hospitalization for both children and their parents. This despite strong evidence showing that making children and parents feel prepared is crucial in order to decrease distress and anxiety, to improve cooperation and participation, and to reduce negative consequences from both a short-term and long-term perspective.

The Anaesthesia Web
As a newly launched and internationally aimed website, the Anaesthesia Web offers children and parents help in order to prepare for hospital stays, anaesthesia and surgery. Today, children and adolescents have the unique experience of having been surrounded by digital media since birth. They use the Internet to play, search for information and learn new things. Furthermore, they declare the Internet as their primary source of information prior to contacts with healthcare and medical treatments. That is why we are here, Gunilla says. Research also shows that web-based preparation significantly increases knowledge and understanding in both children and parents compared to information offered as conventional brochure material.

The Anaesthesia Web is developed to be accessible to all children in terms of content, technology, pedagogy and language. The website offers children and adolescents information in an age-appropriate, interactive and playful way; simply in a way they can absorb and understand. There are videos, series, podcasts, blogs and FAQs. Visitors also get the opportunity to meet others with similar experiences. Perhaps you would like to join Doctor Safeweb or spy-scout Hilding Vilding? Or maybe visit the Clown Hospital, solve puzzles, do crafts, paint or play in your own operating room?

 

In addition to this, the website contains information for adults in 32 different languages. We know that fear and anxiety in children are greatly affected by the condition of their relatives. Therefore, it is incredibly important that family members feel well-informed and comfortable with the situation in order to be able to support their child in the best way possible, Gunilla emphasizes. All content on the Anaesthesia Web is based on clinical and scientific evidence and has been developed by a multidisciplinary team together with children of all ages, all with various experiences of healthcare. The Anaesthesia Web has open access, is free to link, and as all the content on the site is generally applicable it can be used irrespective of national or local procedures.

The purpose of web-based preparation programs is never to replace, but to support children’s information and preparation as well as their contact with healthcare providers, Gunilla says. More time will be available for individual interactions since the preparation has already started before the child has arrived at the hospital. After all, I know what it means to be afraid in hospital. There is no doubt that healthcare encounters have an impact on children and parents. The question is, what kind of impact do we want it to be?

At the Anaesthesia Web children, in all ages and cognitive levels, can learn more about the body, what it is like being in hospital and what happens before, during and after anaesthesia and surgery.

The Anaesthesia Web has been developed to be accessible to all children and young people in terms of content, technology, pedagogy and language.

All content for children is available in English and Swedish. Information for adults is available in 32 different languages.

The Anaesthesia Web has open access, is free to link, and can as all the content on the site is generally applicable, be used irrespective of local procedures.

The Anaesthesia Web contains medically quality assured information that has been developed by a multidisciplinary team together with children of various ages and different medical experiences and experienced specialists within anaesthesia and paediatrics from Astrid Lindgren Children’s Hospital at Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden. All content is based on scientific and clinical evidence.

The Anaesthesia Web has been developed following a concept by Gunilla Lööf, nurse anaesthetist and medical doctor (PhD) at the Department of Paediatric Anaesthesia and Intensive Care at the Astrid Lindgren Children’s Hospital at the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden.

After having seen children being forced to undergo medical procedures, afraid and unprepared, Gunilla has spent many years working on development of web-based medical preparation programmes for children and young people. Gunilla defended her doctoral thesis at the Karolinska Institute in the field of web-based learning for children and young people when they come into contact with medical staff, and she is still pursuing research into paediatric anaesthesia, care and web-based learning.

The Anaesthesia Web is funded by The Swedish Inheritance Fund and The Foundation for the Astrid Lindgren Children’s Hospital.