New Zealand’s online safety organisation Netsafe and child rights organisation Save the Children have teamed up to bring children’s voices to the internet safety conversation.

Launching ahead of Te Rā o Ngā Tamariki, New Zealand Children’s Day on Sunday (2 March), children are being asked to share their experiences of using the internet, including social media and gaming, and what they believe would make it a safer space for children. The anonymous online survey is open to all children and young people aged 5-18 and the results will be shared with parents, teachers and decision makers to better understand how to support young people online.

"The internet is a big part of life for many tamariki and rangatahi in Aotearoa, but adults don’t always understand what it’s really like for them. Often, we take an 'adults know best' approach rather than taking time to seek the views of children," says Save the Children New Zealand’s Director of Advocacy and Research Jacqui Southey.

"The views and opinions of young people matter - they know best the experiences they are having online, and what actions decision makers could take to make it a more fun and safe experience."

Netsafe CEO Brent Carey says the survey builds on existing research conducted by Netsafe around children’s experiences online by asking for their input and guidance around what would improve internet safety.

"Children are often told by adults what will make their experiences online better but rarely asked to contribute to this important conversation around internet safety. Hearing directly from them about their experience and advice for decision makers will help inform our own efforts to ensure the internet is a safer space for everyone.

"We’ve already started to hear directly from children and young people and have had some great suggestions around what children want to see."

This includes creating safer online gaming spaces, better tools to stop online bullying and harassment, greater controls over what content they see, including blocking harmful sites, including those containing false and extremist content, and more education for parents and teachers around online experiences for children. Younger children are communicating the important role their parents are playing in helping them to feel safe.

Children wanting to take part in the online survey can do so here: Tamariki Online! Have your say with Netsafe and Save the Children.

About Save the Children NZ: Save the Children works in 120 countries across the world. The organisation responds to emergencies and works with children and their communities to ensure they survive, learn and are protected.

Save the Children NZ currently supports international programmes in Fiji, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Laos, Nepal, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Areas of work include child protection, education and literacy, disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation, and alleviating child poverty.

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