Young people are growing up in a world where technology plays an increasingly important role. You scroll, message, stream and navigate your way through life online almost every day. But who actually decides what that online world looks like? And why are conversations about social media, algorithms and technology so often held without young people at the table?
During Youth Take the Lead, young people will engage in conversation with politicians, experts, policymakers and civil society organisations about the future of the internet. Not as the subject of the discussion, but as equal participants in it.
Across three panel discussions, we will explore questions that resonate with many young people. How do social media shape our daily lives? How much control do we really have over what we see and share online? And what happens when algorithms determine the information, opportunities and choices presented to us?
Together, we will take stock of where we are today, what needs to change, and what role young people can play in shaping that change. The discussions will serve as the starting point for Bits of Freedom’s new Youth Team: a group of young people who will spend the coming year working towards an internet that is free, safe and fair for everyone.
Whether you are a young person, work in technology policy, are active in civil society, or are simply curious about the future of the internet, this afternoon brings together different perspectives for a conversation that is too often held without young people themselves.
