EPA - European Parents' Association

🌐📱 How can parents better understand young people’s digital lives?

Today’s children and young people are growing up in a world shaped by social media, algorithms, online communication, digital footprints, and constant access to information. For many parents, keeping up can sometimes feel like trying to read a map that changes every day.

The NextGen Parenting Podcast Playlist offers expert insights and practical conversations to help families navigate the digital world with confidence.

🎙️ Explore topics such as:
✅ What young people leave behind through their digital footprint
✅ How online behaviour can influence wellbeing, reputation, and future opportunities
✅ Ways to discuss online risks without creating fear or anxiety
✅ Why media literacy and critical thinking are essential skills for every family
✅ How to support children and teenagers in becoming responsible and resilient digital citizens

The digital world presents both opportunities and challenges. By staying informed and keeping communication open, parents can help young people make safe, thoughtful, and informed choices online.

🎧 The full podcast playlist is now available on YouTube, bringing together insights from project partners and invited experts.

Watch the full playlist, save it for later and share it with parents, educators and professionals who support young people in the digital world.

Playlist: https://tinyurl.com/NextGenPodcasts

www.youtube.com

Raising children in a digital world isn't easy.

From social media and influencers to algorithms and AI, children's digital lives are changing fast — and many parents feel overwhelmed by the pace of change.

To help families navigate these challenges, UNESCO together with Le CLEMI and Réseau Canopé, created Growing Up in a Connected World — a practical guide grounded in media and information literacy.

The guide offers simple, practical advice on screen use, social media, cyberviolence, content creation, algorithms and artificial intelligence, helping families build trust, encourage critical thinking and make informed choices together.

Because protecting children online requires us to move beyond prohibition. It calls for a gradual and intentional approach to introducing digital technologies in children’s lives.

🔗 Discover the guide: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000398455.locale=en

Animation & video production for preschool SEL materials is underway!
On the GrowWell project, the collaboratively developed storyboards and learning concepts are now being transformed into engaging animated videos and supporting educational resources for early childhood education.
From character design to visual storytelling, each element is being carefully crafted to bring socio-emotional learning to life for preschool children across participating countries. Alongside the videos, the project is also developing worksheets, classroom activities, and outdoor guides to support hands-on learning experiences.
👀 The image offers a sneak peek at the main caststay tuned!

The full materials will be available soon, along with opportunities to join free training sessions for educators and parents.
Read more: https://growwellproject.eu/animation-and-video-production-underway-for-preschool-sel-materials/

The NextGen Parenting Podcast Series is here!

Parenting in the digital age brings new questions, new challenges and many opportunities to learn.

The NextGen Parenting project has prepared a podcast series with expert conversations on digital safety, online behaviour, media literacy, cyber violence, gender stereotypes and the support young people need in today’s digital environments.

The full podcast playlist is now available on YouTube, bringing together insights from project partners and invited experts.

Watch the full playlist, save it for later and share it with parents, educators and professionals who support young people in the digital world.

Playlist: https://tinyurl.com/NextGenPodcasts

⚠️ It is time for a change.
The newly released Eurobarometer survey “Impact of excessive screen time and social media on young people’s mental health” confirms what parents across Europe are experiencing in their homes every single day.
This major EU-wide study gathered insights directly from parents and youth (aged 13 to 18) to provide clear, undeniable proof that digital consumption has shifted from a personal habit to a massive public health challenge.

Here are the reality-check numbers:
👁️ Exposure: 25% of European adolescents have encountered problematic content online, including hate speech, body pressure, and unexpected violence.
🧠 Health: 9 out of 10 young people report physical or cognitive symptoms linked to excessive screen use, such as tired eyes, sleep disruption, and concentration loss.
🗣️ Public Consensus: 92% of European citizens demand stronger online protections for minors.

While empowering parents with digital literacy is crucial, it remains a secondary defense. The primary responsibility belongs to the systemic environments created by Big Tech. Platforms must be safe by design.

We look forward to July 13, when the EU Special Panel on Child Safety Online will present its final recommendations to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. EPA is working closely with European institutions to make sure the Voice of Parents is heard and taken into account in the high-level decisions.

💬 Parents, we want to hear from you: Does the 9-out-of-10 statistic for sleep disruption or tired eyes match what you see at home? Tell us in the comments. 👇

📊 Read the full Eurobarometer data set here: https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/3686

Parenting in the digital age can sometimes feel like trying to read a map that keeps updating itself. 📱🌍

Young people are growing up in a world shaped by algorithms, online communication, digital footprints, and constant access to content. Understanding their digital lives is one of the most important conversations families can have.

🎧 The NextGen Parenting podcast playlist explores questions such as:

🔹 What do young people leave behind through their digital footprint?
🔹 How can online behaviour affect wellbeing, reputation, and future opportunities?
🔹 How can parents talk to children and teenagers about online risks without creating fear?
🔹 Why are media literacy and critical thinking essential family skills?

These expert conversations offer practical insights to help parents navigate the digital world with confidence, curiosity, and connection.

💬 What is the biggest challenge you face when talking to your children about their online experiences? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Watch the playlist and choose one episode to discuss with your family, colleagues or parent group.

Playlist: https://tinyurl.com/NextGenPodcasts

www.youtube.com

🦉 Meet Nori the owl and discover how materials for socio-emotional learning are created!
Nori is one of the main characters in a socio-emotional learning series intended for kindergartens, which we are developing with partners as part of the EU project GrowWell.
Nori is not there to provide ready-made solutions or answers. Instead, she encourages children to pause, observe what is happening, recognize their emotions, and think about possible next steps. Through calm and supportive questions, she helps them independently explore their feelings and experiences.
This approach reflects one of the key ideas of the GrowWell project – children develop socio-emotional skills best when we support them in understanding their own experiences, rather than telling them what they should think or feel.
💚 Nori is just one of the characters that will appear in the materials we are developing within the GrowWell project.
Read more about the process of their development at the link: https://growwellproject.eu/behind-the-creation-of-growwell-building-social-emotional-learning-through-storytelling/

Hate speech is not just harmful language it is often the first step on a path of dehumanisation that can escalate into violence, conflict, and atrocity crimes. In today’s digital environment, it spreads rapidly, amplified by algorithms, anonymity, and increasingly by AI systems that can unintentionally reinforce division and outrage.
The European Parents’ Association (EPA) stands firmly against all forms of hate speech targeting women, migrants, refugees, LGBTQIA+ persons, persons with disabilities, and other minority groups. As parents and educators, we recognise how deeply these narratives can shape young people’s understanding of others and of themselves.
In the digital age, we must act collectively to break this cycle. This means strengthening education to help children and young people recognise and reject hate speech, supporting those affected by online abuse, and ensuring stronger accountability from platforms and policymakers. Freedom of expression is a fundamental right but it must never be used to justify harm or incitement.
International frameworks such as the UN Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech and the Global Principles for Information Integrity offer clear guidance for building safer, more ethical digital spaces grounded in human rights.
On this International Day for Countering Hate Speech, EPA calls on families, schools, governments, and tech companies to work together to reject prejudice in all its forms and to foster a culture of dignity, inclusion, and respect for every child and every community.

One more day to go - if you haven't signed up for our webinar tomorrow here is your last chance to do so:
📆17th June 2026
🕔 17:00 CEST
📌online via ZOOM
✍️https://forms.gle/bqJJ14joEK56bV648

Learn about the EU Code Week and how you can foster at home using unplugged activities. Listen to our key note speaker Dr. Luise Heeran Flynn from Trinity College Dublin - school of education on why cooperation between the home and the school matters.