This paper presents a case study on the role of municipalities’ digital communication in enhancing children’s access to urban resources in terms of leisure. According to the UN Convention on the rights of the child, children have the right to accessible and reliable communication that can enhance their participation in society. 18 children aged 10-11 years participated in group interviews where they evaluated a municipality’s digital communication about the leisure department but also offered leisure activities. John Dewey’s theory on judgment in human thinking served as an analytical frame to examine the data and gain insights into children’s perspectives. The study identified seven principles that children used in their judgments: proximity, comprehension, inclusion, in-depth information, accurate information and authenticity, influence and mistrust. In the second phase of the case study, these principles were discussed with the responsible communication practitioners at theleisure department. Here, several key issues were raised, such as what a child-right approachmeans in daily work with digital communication to children, as well as the need for additional resources to work with children rather than about children. In the paper, several suggestions for improving municipalities’ digital communication to strengthen children’s rights are raised.
The presentation was part of the panel: Enhancing Child Well-Being and Rights: Participation and Access to Urban Environments and Resources