ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳

Digital Futures for Children

A collaboration with the 5Rights Foundation, this applied research project is working to put children’s interests at the centre of the design of the digital world.

DIORA: Dynamic Interplay of Online Risk and Resilience in Adolescence

A multi-method study of the mental health risks and benefits of digital technology use.

euCONSENT

Led by , is an EU-funded research and development initiative bringing together twelve partners including academic institutions, NGOs and technology providers to design, deliver and pilot a new Europe-wide system for online age verification and parental consent.

EU Kids Online is a multinational research network. It seeks to enhance knowledge of European children's online opportunities, risks and safety. It uses multiple methods to map children's and parents' experience of the internet, in dialogue with national and European policy stakeholders. 

Global Kids Online is an international research project that aims to generate and sustain a rigorous cross-national evidence base around children’s use of the internet by creating a global network of researchers and experts, and a research and impact toolkit, to inform and promote children’s rights in the digital age. 

Platforming Families (PlatFAMs)

Funded by CHANSE/ESRC, PlatFAMs examines the embeddedness of digital platforms in the lives and practices of modern families by researching three-generations (children, parents, grandparents) in five European countries (Norway, Estonia, UK, Romania and Spain).

This project investigates family practices and attitudes around very young children’s internet use in Australia and the United Kingdom with the aim of developing recommendations for policy makers and offering guidelines for parents of young children.

The project involves longitudinal research with children aged 12 to 17 to offer evidence on how to enhance and maximise long-term positive impacts of the ICT environment on multiple aspects of children’s well-being by stimulating resilience through the enhancement of digital skills.

Adolescent Mental Health and Development in the Digital World

Research will address how the digital environment influences brain development and function, mental health and mental health problems, risk behaviours, bullying, loneliness and social isolations and also how digital technologies can be harnessed to promote positive behaviours and mental well-being.

Children's Data and Privacy Online

Funded by the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office, this project led by Prof Sonia Livingstone seeks to address questions and evidence gaps concerning children’s conception of privacy online.

Children’s Rights in the Digital Age

To examine how children's rights to provision, protection and participation are being enhanced or undermined in the digital age, this project aims to build on current evidence of online risks and opportunities for children worldwide. 

This ethnographic research project examined the emerging mix of on- and offline experiences in teenagers’ daily learning lives. The team focused on the fluctuating web of peer-to-peer networks that may cut across institutional boundaries, adult values and established practices of learning and leisure. The .

Towards a pan-European knowledge platform on the effects of digital technologies on children and young people. CO:RE examines children’s digital experiences relating to their health, lifestyles, participation and digital citizenship, well-being, safety, and security. The ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ team  coordinates the theoretical dimension of the research.

Community Through Digital Connectivity

This project examined the role that communication plays in promoting and hindering community among London’s diverse populations. Read the final .

This interdisciplinary research network is dedicated to understanding the opportunities and risks for learning afforded by today's changing media ecology, as well as building new learning environments that support effective learning and educational equity. Read the .

This COST Action is examining children’s digital literacy skills as they engage with the latest technologies including wearable technologies, 3D printers, robots, augmented reality apps, toys and games and the Internet of Things.

This nine-year (2015-2024) mixed methods longitudinal research and evaluation programme is following the lives of adolescents in diverse Global South contexts. Read the  on digital media.

Impact of Marketing on Children's Behaviour

In light of raising concerns about advertising practices targeting children, the study examined children's exposure to online marketing content in social media, online games and applications. Read the final report .

MakEY

Makerspaces in the early years: Enhancing digital literacy and creativity. This research network aims to further research and innovation in the area of young children’s digital literacy and creative design skills.

This project examined the relationship between consumption and citizenship, asking whether and, if so, how, people's media consumption gives them the resources to connect to wider publics. Read the , and the .

Funded by UKRI (ESRC), this network is researching how the digital environment intersects with the traditional influences on children – family, school, peers. The aim is to build new practice models to improve children and young people’s mental health outcomes.

Funded by the NSPCC, this project reviewed the evidence related to outcomes and effectiveness for children’s helplines so as to inform the future planning of effective service delivery.

This qualitative and quantitative research project  investigated how children and young people, along with their parents, carers, mentors and educators imagine and prepare for their personal and work futures in a digital age. The work is being blogged at .

Public Understanding of Regimes of Risk and Regulation

This project (2004-2008) asked how consumers are now represented within the new culture of regulation and, on the other hand, how consumers themselves understand their changing role within communications and financial service regulation.

For previous research projects, see Professor Livingstone's CV (available on request).

Postgraduate teaching

Professor Livingstone convenes the popular postgraduate course The Audience in Media and Communications. Her new course is Children, Youth and Media. She has also contributed lectures to team-taught graduate-level Media and Communications courses relating to theories and concepts (MC408/MC418) and research methodologies (MC4M1/MC4M2).

Doctoral supervision

Professor Livingstone supervises doctoral candidates researching questions of children and media, and audiences and publics in the changing digital media landscape, and has successfully supervised 25 PhDs.  Her current supervisees include Zoë Glatt, Rodrigo Muñoz-González, Gianfranco Polizzi, Hao Wu, Ssu-Han Yu, Yang Zhou and .

• Livingstone, S. and Blum-Ross, A. (2020) . New York: Oxford University Press.
• Livingstone, S. and Sefton-Green, J. (2016) . NYU Press, New York. ISBN 9781479824243. See  and . 
• Davies, C., Coleman, J. and Livingstone, S. eds. (2014) . London: Routledge.
• Butsch, R. and Livingstone, S, eds. (2014) . London: Routledge. ISBN 9780415837293.
• Livingstone, S., Haddon, L. and Görzig, A., eds. (2012) . Policy Press, Bristol. ISBN 9781847428820 Read .
• Lunt, P. and Livingstone, S. (2012) . SAGE, London. ISBN 9780857025708.  See , read .
• Couldry, N., Livingstone, S. and Markham, T. (2010)  (2^nd edition). Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke, UK. ISBN 9781403985347
• Livingstone, S. (2009)  Polity Press, Oxford, UK. ISBN 9780745631943. Read .
• Livingstone, S. and Haddon, L., eds. (2009) . The Policy Press, Bristol, UK, pp. 241-252. ISBN 9781847424396. Read , .
• Millwood Hargrave, A. and Livingstone, S. (2009)  (2^nd edition). Intellect, Bristol, UK. ISBN 9781841502380. for free.
• Lievrouw, L., and Livingstone, S. (Eds.) (2009) (Volumes 1-4). London: Sage. . .
• Drotner, K., and Livingstone, S. eds. (2008) . London: Sage. .
• Lievrouw, L. A. and Livingstone, S. eds. (2006)  – student edition. SAGE Publications, London.  See .
• Livingstone, S. (2006) . Trans. D. Cardini. Rome: Carocci.
• Livingstone, S. (Ed.) (2005) . Bristol: Intellect Press. for free.
• Lievrouw, L. A. and Livingstone, S. eds. (2002) . SAGE Publications, London. ISBN 9781412918732.
• Livingstone, S. (2002)  Sage, London. ISBN 0761964665. Read . Linked report: .
• Livingstone, S., and Bovill, M. (Eds.) (2001) . Hillsdale, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Read , .
• Livingstone, S (1998) (2^nd edition). London: Routledge. Read .
• Livingstone, Sonia and Lunt, Peter (1994) . Routledge, London, UK. ISBN 9780415077385. Read .
• Lunt, P. and Livingstone, S. (1992) . Open University Press, Buckingham, UK. ISBN 9780335096718.  for free.

Professor Livingstone's publications are mostly , with many available online open-access.

Full CV available on request.

For writing on specific topics, see:

'World-leading' impact case study

Professor Livingstone's impact case study Realising children's rights in a digital world was judged 'world-leading' in the UK's most recent research excellence exercise, 'REF 2021'.

Recent knowledge exchange and impact work

Recent selected reports resulting from Professor Livingstone's knowledge exchange and impact work are listed below:

• ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ Media Policy Project (2019) Morton, S., et al. (2019) . UNICEF Office of Research - Innocenti, Florence. An independent evaluation of Global Kids Online.
• ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ Media Policy Project (2018)  Roundtable report, London: ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ Media Policy Project. . 
• Livingstone, S. and Livingstone, S., Lansdown, G., and Third, A. (2017) . A report prepared for the Children’s Commissioner for England. London: Office of the Children’s Commissioner.
• House of Lords: Select Committee on Communications (2017), . HL Paper 130. (Special advisor).
• Livingstone, S., Davidson, J. & Bryce, J., with Batool, S. Haughton, C., & Nandi, A. (2017) . London: Department of Digital, Media, Culture and Sport.
• Livingstone, S., Nandi, A., Banaji, S., and Stoilova, M. (2017) . DFID/ODI: Gender and Adolescence, Global Evidence.
• Blum-Ross, A. and Livingstone, S. (2016) . ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ Media Policy Project, Media Policy Brief 17. ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳: London, UK.
• Byrne, J., Kardefelt-Winther, D., Livingstone, S. and Stoilova, M. (2016)  Global Kids Online, London, UK.
• Nash, V., Adler, J.R., Horvath, A.H., Livingstone, S., Marston, C., Owen, G., Wright, J. (2016) . Report of Expert Panel for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. London: DCMS.
• Livingstone, S., Carr, J., and Byrne, J. (2015) . Global Commission on Internet Governance: Paper Series. London: CIGI and Chatham House.
• Livingstone, S., and Mason, J. (2015) . A report commissioned by eNACSO, the European NGO Alliance for Child Safety Online, Rome.
• McDougall, J., and Livingstone, S., with Sefton-Green, J., and Fraser, P. (2014) . Report for COST (Transforming Audiences, Transforming Societies).
• Ito, M., Gutiérrez, K., Livingstone, S., Penuel, B., Rhodes, J., Salen, K., Schor, J., Sefton-Green, J., and Watkins, C. (2013). . Irvine, CA: Digital Media and Learning Research Hub.
• Livingstone, S., and Bulger, M. (2013) . Florence: UNICEF Office of Research.
• Bulger, M., and Livingstone, S. (2013) Report of a seminar organised by the COST Transforming Audiences, Transforming Societies Action, Brussels.
• Ringrose, J., Gill, R., Livingstone, S., and Harvey, L. (2012) : A report prepared for the NSPCC.
• Panel Member (2009, December) . London: Department for Children, Schools and Families.
• Livingstone, S. (2008) Contribution to main text, and author of Appendix B, of the Home Office Task Force on Child Protection on the Internet’s . Revised (2010) as guidance by the UK Council for Child Internet Safety.
• Bradbrook, G., Alvi, I., Fisher, J., Lloyd, H., Moore, R., Thompson, V., Brake, D., Helsper, E., and Livingstone, S. (2008) . London: Becta.
• Livingstone, S. (2006) . Prepared for the Research Department of the Office of Communications (Ofcom), January. Annex 9, Television Advertising of Food and Drink Products to Children.

Professor Livingstone's  relating to screen time, children’s rights online and parenting the digital. Here’s a good . See Professor Livingstone’s TED Talk on  and for the FT’s Tech Tonic.

Professor Livingstone's blog on all things parenting/childhood/digital media is at – contributions to this are welcome, so do email her with suggestions. Professor Livingstone also blogs on media policy, internet governance and children’s rights on the blog.

You can follow her on Twitter .