Digital experiences are increasingly becoming part of childhood as children use digital tools and platforms to learn, play, communicate and connect, bringing significant opportunities alongside new forms of risk. Evidence shows that experiences such as online bullying, sexual exploitation and exposure to harmful content can have serious consequences for children’s safety and wellbeing. At the same time, UNICEF notes that digital environments have developed faster than the education, services, regulation and safeguards needed to ensure that children can use them safely and positively.
For Africa, the need is particularly urgent as connectivity expands. Evidence from Eastern and Southern Africa shows that increasing internet access can bring important opportunities for children while also increasing exposure to online risks and harm. Yet significant gaps remain in research, awareness and evidence-informed responses across the continent. We exist to help close this gap—equipping children with age-appropriate ways to understand and navigate digital experiences, empowering parents, teachers and youth to support them, and engaging stakeholders to strengthen the environments in which African children learn, connect and grow.