In order to raise awareness of the need for a positive and protected internet for children, today is Safer Internet Day under the slogan "Together we can create a better internet". It is clear that a better internet means a space free of risks and dangers for children, but the intention of the phrase goes beyond a mere defensive position.

In recent years many efforts are being made to ensure that children and adolescents have a positive experience of using the Internet. With this age group present on network earlier and earlier and with new, faster and more ubiquitous access devices, it is more necessary than ever to provide them with positive and engaging content and services that they can easily find and safely enjoy. Work is being done on this challenge at different levels.

In 2010, for example, the European Commission organized the first competition for positive online content, the second edition of which has just closed, coordinated by INSAFE, the European Safer Internet Centers network represented in Spain by Protégeles. The winners of the respective national competitions will compete for the European award that will be announced and delivered during the gala that will take place this afternoon in Brussels chaired by the Vice President of the European Commission Neelie Kroes manager also of the diary Digital.

But it is often difficult for content producers to understand what is considered good or positive for children. The claims that arise from family or educational environments sometimes add confusion and hinder the task of making good products for this age group . On the other hand, these contents are sometimes difficult to find and what ends up happening is that children are entertained with YouTube videos that they find after browsing hundreds of offers that are not appropriate for their age, or with applications that they download on their tablets or mobile devices and that are often not designed for them.

goal POSCON (www.positivecontent.eu), a thematic network funded by the Safer Internet Program of the European Commission, was launched in 2013 with the dual aim of helping content producers understand what makes positive content and making it easier for parents to find good initiatives to help create and find positive content and services for children on the Internet. The network brings together a broad representation of European content producers, content consultants and researchers in the field of child development and child protection.

In recent months POSCON has developed a guide that can help producers of content and services for children to identify whether their product is well targeted. The guide, which is available free of charge at download (http://www.positivecontent.eu/positive-content-criteria/), is accompanied by a short list of criteria that should be taken into account when developing products for this age group ( group ). In general terms, the POSCON experts believe that positive content is content that clearly specifies the targeted group age group, is attractive, easy to use, safe, reliable and where children's privacy is assured. They also add additional criteria that should be met when the service or content includes communication elements (social profiles, chats) or commercial elements, or on the design of applications. POSCON is now working on the second part of this equation: making positive content easily findable, for which a European archive of positive content for children is being developed and will be online in the coming months.

In this same line of taking advantage of existing resources and making it easier for them to reach the public that needs them, today we also welcome the Digital Family platform (http://www.familiadigital.es) promoted by the Interactive Generations Forum. Aimed at parents who are considering how to face the challenges of the generalization of technology, Familia Digital offers a selection of the best resources available at network segmented by age groups and endorsed by an international panel of experts.

Clearing network of harmful content and potential dangers for children is a clear necessity. But it is good to remember that making the Internet better is also about providing good services and quality experiences for children. And that is everyone's job.