The Byron Review on Children and New Technology — A Landmark UK Report

Dr Tanya Byron, a celebrated UK physician and broadcaster, has recently authored a ground breaking report (Byron Report) outlining a national strategy for child Internet safety. Formally titled "Byron Review: Children and New Technology", the Byron Report was delivered to the Home Office on March 27, 2008. Included in a long list of recommendations are a streamlined system for classifying computer video games and new codes of practice for networking sites. Dr Byron observed that both parents and children are struggling to cope with the impact of the Internet and of computer games. Attempting to find a middle ground between tighter regulation and better parental education, the Report argues, for example, that industry and government must do more to give parents the information with which to set timers on computers and video games. Within days of the release of the Byron Report, the Home Secretary published a Social Networking Guidance, giving advice about how to increase safety in the online world. Entering this topic ("Byron Review – UK") into an online search engine produces a very large number of responses (nearly 1.5 million), including widespread comment in the US and other countries, indicating that the Byron Report is already having considerable impact. For an Executive Summary of the Byron Report, visit: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/byronreview/ For a copy of the UK Social Networking Guidance (Good practice guidance for the providers of social networking and other user interactive services, 2008), see: http://tinyurl.com/5kcpmc Summary by: The Editor