BIK Youth

Three key youth-driven groups - the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) Youth Panel, the newly introduced International Panel, which includes participants from non-EU countries, and the Safer Internet Forum Youth Advisory Group (SIF YAG) - are actively shaping the event.The Youth Panel, now consisting of 41 young people aged 12 to 19 from 22 European countries, along with participants from Albania, Armenia, Brazil, Ghana, Turkey, the UK, and Ukraine, has been meeting regularly since September. These dedicated young participants come together to engage in productive discussions and debates. In their most recent session, for example, they focused on harmful online content and its effects on mental health, internet safety, and raising awareness.Meanwhile, the SIF YAG, a group of six young individuals representing six EU countries, is diligently preparing for this year’s Forum, themed “Where’s the harm? Protecting children and young people from inappropriate content and cyberbullying.” Their primary focus is on selecting event speakers and shaping the sessions to ensure the Forum delivers insightful and inspiring discussions that address the concerns of today’s youth in the rapidly evolving digital world.By actively involving young people in the event’s planning and execution, the Forum aims to create a safer, more informed, and inclusive online environment for everyone.To stay updated on youth activities related to the Better Internet for Kids agenda across Europe, visit the BIK Youth section on the BIK platform. Learn more about the Safer Internet Forum 2024 and secure your online spot now!

With the government's support, a hundred teenagers from scouting associations, secondary schools and public and private colleges were invited to the Ministry of Industry and Finance on Tuesday, 7 February  2023, to speak publicly about their wishes to improve their lives online. Their speeches, prepared in advance with the French Safer Internet Centre, followed the campaign theme "What are our children doing online? And tomorrow?" and raised the young people's questions according to the three verbs "To inform, to communicate, to be entertained". To answer their questions, they were faced with Former Minister François Bayrou,  Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister Delegate for Digital Transition and Telecommunications, and Charlotte Caubel, Secretary of State for Children, as well as a hundred representatives of social media platforms (like TikTok, Twitter, Meta and so on), the video game industry, GAFAM and the press.What have we learned from this new format?Giving this generation a voice is essential, but it also requires adults to be ready to listen to the young generation and respond honestly and frankly. Listening to and publicly acknowledging the anger, frustration and disagreement of these teenagers when confronted with tools or services that sometimes cause them to experience injustice and violence is not easy in a world where the voice of industry is very powerful and where policymakers struggle to implement responses to protect them. Such experience is important for confronting the limits and the discourses of adults and professionals in the sector. As an actor mandated by the European Commission to protect minors online, we have affirmed our role through this experience and are enthusiastic to go beyond next year. Find more information about the work of the French Safer Internet Centre, including their awareness raising, helpline, hotline and youth participation services – or find similar information for other Safer Internet Centres throughout Europe. 

Being one of the BIK Youth Ambassadors at the kick-off event of European Youth Week at the European Parliament in Brussels was an incredible experience. It was on Friday, the 12th, that I had the chance to visit the parliament for the first time in my life, participate in activities that interest me, and that I wanted to get involved in. I shared this experience with other young people from diverse backgrounds and with very different views, and I had the opportunity to hear relevant insights from Commissioners, European politicians, and policymakers. Having a parliamentary seat in Brussels for a few hours was a truly impactful experience.The highlight of my day was the session I had the honour of co-chairing with Diya, representing the BIK project, in a collaboration between DG CNECT and the Publications Office. Our involvement in the session as young ambassadors proved to be extremely relevant in the context of an event aimed at giving the younger generation the opportunity to "voice their vision."The session "Check your facts! The power of digital skills, critical thinking, and open data" featured an enlightening opening panel. The combination of experts in media literacy and open data with a youthful perspective effectively engaged the young attendees. Participants were then challenged to "get hands-on," putting their skills to the test and understanding the challenges of identifying the accuracy of information, while learning the best practices to do so safely. In a friendly competition among teams, there was no shortage of debate and collaboration, a commitment to achieving the best results, and enthusiasm for learning more. Could they distinguish real news from fake news? And identify AI-generated images? Did they have what it takes to be true fact-checkers? The participants showed excellent results! In conclusion, we reflected on the challenges we face in navigating a vast amount of information, from traditional news to social media posts. The emphasis was on the critical need for media and data literacy to make informed decisions, protect privacy, and engage meaningfully online, particularly in the context of voting and combating disinformation.At the end of the day, one thought resonated with me. When asked about "the solution for disinformation," panelist Andy Demeulenaere, coordinator of Mediawijs, pointed out that the aim of disinformation is to foster distrust leading to general disinterest. Indeed, when faced with uncertainty about what to believe, the simplest reaction is apathy.In this session, I witnessed first-hand that we, as young people, are countering this trend. I saw concerns expressed through questions, doubts, and opinions, and heard meaningful and engaged debate. This event is all about empowering young people, and they demonstrated their commitment to shaping the future with knowledge, skills, and a unique and increasingly vital passion.It was Friday, 12 April, at the European Parliament in Brussels, half past six, and we were raising a toast to a successful session, a rewarding event, and the crucial role of youth participation.Joana MartinsBIK Youth Ambassador from Portugal

On Tuesday, 6 February 2024, during the Safer Internet Day celebrations in Portugal, I discovered interesting aspects of artificial intelligence such as:What is AI anyway?So, we hear a lot about AI, but what's the deal behind it? Imagine having a supercharged brain inside a computer. It can learn stuff, make decisions, and even chat with us. Pretty cool, right?Robot takeover fears?Some folks worry that robots will rule the world. Hold up, people! Robots aren't movie villains. They're tools made by humans. We just got to figure out how to use them right, and not "get used by them".Privacy and personal dataWith AI, our data is always under the microscope. It's cool for personalising things, but it can also be kind of scary. Let's protect our privacy and know that what we share online stays online forever.Bias and discriminationAI learns from data, and sometimes that data has biases. That can tamper with the decisions it makes. We got to make sure AI plays fair for everyone, and implement mechanisms against discrimination.Jobs and the futurePeople fear about losing jobs to robots. But guess what? AI also creates new opportunities. Let's get ready for those future gigs!Ethics and responsibilitiesAI is a powerful tool. We need to think and learn about the consequences of our choices. Like Uncle Ben from Spider-Man said, "With great power comes great responsibility."So, everyone, AI is mind-blowing, and it came to stay, but we got to use it wisely. Let's keep learning and exploring this digital world safely.Find out more about the work of the Portuguese Safer Internet Centre, including its awareness raising, helpline, hotline and youth participation services – or find similar information for Safer Internet Centres throughout Europe.