Dr Amanda Gummer discusses the Children’s Digital Wellbeing Framework and Thrive Digital Alliance

Amanda, great to catch up! Tell us about the Children’s Digital Wellbeing Framework and how it came about.
We’ve been building accreditation frameworks since 2012, starting with the Good Toy Guide and expanding into apps with the Good Play Guide. We’ve since developed accreditation programmes for the Children’s Activities Association, the US Toy Association’s STEAM framework, and MESH Helps. Each of those has served a specific niche well.

But digital felt different. The scale, the speed, the diversity of what’s out there for children, from games and streaming to social platforms and connected toys, it’s a bit of a minefield. And the headlines made clear what happens when there’s no quality standard in place: concerns around game addiction, mental health referrals, smartphone bans in schools. It felt genuinely ‘wild west’.

There are two things we set out to do. First, give families and educators a clear, trusted signal for what’s genuinely good for children within the context of a Balanced Play Diet. Second, give the companies who are doing the right thing a way to prove it and be recognised for it. There are brilliant developers, studios and brands putting children’s wellbeing at the heart of what they build. They deserve to stand out. Innovate UK funding gave us the resource to make it happen properly.

Is the timing right, given the regulatory climate?
It couldn’t be better timed. The Online Safety Act has made clear how hard it is to regulate this space through legislation alone. There’s real appetite from both government and industry to find a better way. Voluntary codes of practice, credible quality standards, an accreditation mark that parents trust and the industry respects: that’s the space we’re stepping into. Legislation stops the bad stuff. But it doesn’t necessarily create the good stuff. We want to build something that actively elevates high-quality digital experiences for children, not just clears a minimum bar.

How has it been received?
Incredibly well, across the board. Policymakers, the industry, families, schools, teachers: the response has been consistently positive and I couldn’t be more excited. I’ve always been clear that this can’t operate in a silo. It needs to be one mark that covers all things digital, and we need key platforms such as Google, the App Store, Amazon, BBC iPlayer and YouTube to recognise it. The goal is a standard that becomes as familiar to parents as a safety kite mark: something they actively look for when they’re choosing what digital activities to allow their children to use.

It’s important to stress that we want to go beyond ‘doing no harm’. Legislation handles the floor. We’re setting a higher standard: digital experiences that actively support children’s development and wellbeing.

It’s a complex landscape. How did you approach it?
There was a real learning curve on the technical side: reward mechanisms, algorithmic design, the vocabulary that sits behind how digital products are built and behave. But we didn’t try to master it alone. We went out to industry and asked for help, and the response was extraordinary. Over 60 experts contributed to the framework including industry professionals, academics, children’s rights advocates, developers and educators. That breadth matters. It means the framework is grounded in how the industry actually works, not just how regulators think it works.

The result is something that the industry had a hand in shaping and can genuinely stand behind – it’s what makes the accreditation meaningful.

How is the framework structured?
The Framework is modular. First there’s the floor requirements – general compliance and universal design principles. Then there are age-related design principles. Concepts such as agency mean different things depending on the age of the child. This is followed by specific modules based on the digital activity being developed. There are modules for online, AI, screen-based, solitary play, and multiplayer features – and the beauty of the framework is that people can just choose the modules that apply to the digital product/activity that they are developing. The accreditation programme is now in development, translating that framework into a practical assessment process for brands and developers.

How does working with the digital industry compare to toys?
In toys, you’re committing huge investment upfront before you know if something works. Digital is different: you can launch, learn and iterate. That’s a strength, but it also raises important questions about when in the development process you involve children, and how an accreditation programme keeps pace with constant updates and new versions.

We’ve been pragmatic about that from the start. But one thing is consistent: the appetite is there. The digital industry knows it’s been getting a rough ride in the press. Some of that is deserved; there are bad actors. But there are far more companies who genuinely care about children and are frustrated that their work gets tarred with the same brush. The accreditation gives the good actors a way to separate themselves. And that’s commercially valuable.

What’s next?
It became clear that the framework was bigger than any one organisation and its integrity and independence needed to be protected so whilst we were delighted that FUNdamentally Children has been the steward during the creation of the framework, we are now looking to transition it into a not-for profit social enterprise – the Thrive Digital Alliance. This will enable us to continue the industry-led collaborative approach and ensure that it goes beyond a framework and becomes a force for good that benefits the whole industry and, more importantly, children.

Do you see the accreditation becoming a key metric for brand partnerships and licensing decisions?
Absolutely, and this is one of the most exciting aspects of the programme. There are two pathways to accreditation. One is product-based: your app, game, platform or service is assessed against the framework. The other is team-based: you can become a Thrive Digital Alliance accredited developer or studio, which signals to the whole market that children’s wellbeing is embedded in how you work.

Both are commercially significant. For brand owners and licensing partners, this gives them an objective, credible basis on which to choose who they work with. For developers and studios, it’s a differentiator that goes beyond marketing claims. It’s independently validated and built on a framework shaped by over 60 experts. That’s a very different proposition from a self-reported ‘child-safe’ label.

The digital world moves fast. How are you future-proofing the framework?
‘Future-proofing’ is probably the phrase I’ve used most across all the working group sessions. The answer is to lead with principles rather than prescriptions. The underlying principles of what supports children’s wellbeing don’t change as quickly as the technology does. If a framework is built around specific features or platforms, it dates fast. If it’s built around outcomes for children, it stays relevant.

Beyond that, we’re committed to an annual review: the latest research, the latest best practices, the latest expert input, every year. That will keep the standard current and maintain its credibility over time.

Where do you think we are with children’s digital wellbeing right now?
The current picture is concerning. The evidence on what children need, genuine social connection, the chance to develop resilience and problem-solving, time for unstructured play, is very clear. And we can see the costs when those needs aren’t being met.

But we’re at an inflection point. Parenting is evolving. Industry appetite is real. Policy attention is sustained. And the opportunity in front of us, if we get this right, is huge. We could see measurable improvements in teenage mental health. We could see children engaging with technology in more active, social and creative ways. We could see a digital economy that grows because the companies doing good work are also the ones that succeed commercially.

That’s what the Thrive Digital Alliance will work to make happen. And the companies that get involved now are the ones who will help shape what ‘good’ looks like for the next generation of children’s digital experiences.

For any digital brands or developers who want to find out more, what’s the best next step?
Come and talk to us. Whether you’re a global platform or an independent studio, if children’s wellbeing matters to your work, there’s a place for you in this. Visit ThriveDigitalAlliance.com or reach out directly. The earlier you’re involved, the more you can shape how the accreditation works in your sector.

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