Heteronormativity, intimate citizenship and the regulation of same-sex sexualities in Bulgaria

De-Centring Western Sexualities critically assesses the current state of knowledge about sexualities outside the framings of 'The West', by focusing on gender and sexuality within the context of Central and Eastern Europe. Providing rich case studies drawn from a range of "post-communist" countries, this interdisciplinary volume brings together the latest research on the formation of sexualities in Central and Eastern Europe, alongside analyses of the sexual and national identity politics of the region. Engaged with current debates within queer studies surrounding temporality and knowledge production, and inspired by post-colonial critique, the book problematises the Western hegemony that often characterises sexuality studies, and presents local theoretical insights better attuned to their geo-temporal realities. As such, it offers a cultural and social re-evaluation of everyday life experiences, and will be of interest to sociologists, queer studies scholars, geographers and anthropologists

Children and young people with vulnerabilities online

As most of the world went into various lockdowns as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the internet and social media provided a lifeline for many, enabling people to keep in touch with others who weren’t living with them, to carry on their education, and to be able to work from home. This blog by the Better Internet for Kids, discusses the opportunities and challenges of creating an inclusive online world for children and young people with disabilities and their views on how the digital environment can be both empowering and challenging

Parenting for a Digital Future January 2021 roundup

A new year has just begun, many of us find ourselves caught in new or ongoing restrictions of our working and social lives. With schools back online parents resume the juggling of childcare, job responsibilities and home-schooling, sometimes without adequate internet access or much needed support. It is clear that the new normal is still “digital by default” and will be for the months to come

What to be mindful of: children’s mental health and the digital environment

An estimated 13% of the global adolescent population aged 12-19 years – or 166 million children – live with some mental disorder, according to UNICEF’s new flagship report State of the World’s Children 2021 – On My Mind: Promoting, protecting and caring for children’s mental health. As lives became digital by default, our attention was drawn to the possible impacts of children’s internet use on their wellbeing. For www.parenting.digital, Mariya Stoilova explores the role of the digital environment in supporting children’s vulnerability or resilience looking at the factors that make a difference between wellbeing and harm

Young people's online engagement and mental health: the role of digital skills

A quarter of UK young people aged 17 to 19 years who lived through lockdowns now have a probable mental disorder, according to new data from NHS Digital. There is growing public and expert concern that young people’s digital activities on the internet may worsen their mental health although the evidence remains contested. LSE’s Dr Mariya Stoilova explains the findings of a new report written with colleagues on the impact of digital experiences on adolescents with mental health vulnerabilities. The report will be launched later today

Parenting for a Digital Future: summer 2021 roundup

As another school year draws to an end, many educators and parents might heave a sigh of relief. The past months have been demanding, often requiring a quick change of gear to accommodate hybrid education, self-isolating children and oscillating mental health. In a series of original contributions and re-posts, P4DF has been following the most prominent issues related to children’s internet use and digital parenting, which we summarise below

Global Kids Online: children’s rights in the digital age - inception report

This inception report contains a short description of the background, purpose and scope of the Global Kids Online project, as well as information about the planned activities, outputs, participating members and delivery dates

Global Kids Online: designing an impact toolkit for a multi-country project

For research precisely designed to inform policy and practice, ensuring it has the desired impact is crucial. But tracking impact across many countries and diverse contexts can be difficult. Sonia Livingstone and Mariya Stoilova describe how the Global Kids Online project has built an impact toolkit which draws on recent empirical research with over 12,000 children. The ambition is to inform national and international policy and legislation around digital technologies, with a focus on safeguarding children’s rights. The impact toolkit contains accessible summaries of the approach, definitions, and key steps; an impact planning and monitoring framework, complete with templates and an exemplar framework; and tools for engaging key stakeholders, including guidelines on using evidence to inform policymaking, presenting findings to children, and communication strategies