At Better Internet for Kids, children and young people take centre stage. As a result, it is crucial to amplify the voices of the youth. To kick off the event, participants will have the opportunity to watch a video where children and young people across the globe share their perspectives on the significance of digital skills as highlighted in the BIK+ strategy.

The video will be followed by a welcome from BIK Youth representatives who will further set the
scene for the day, along with a welcome from the European Commission and video addresses from
Dubravka Šuica, European Commission Vice-President for Democracy and Demography, and Thierry
Breton, European Commissioner for Internal Market. Discussion will reflect on current EC priorities as
they relate to the BIK+ strategy, with a particular focus on skills, children and young people.

Professor Amanda Third will deliver the keynote titled "Life online: the skills and competences needed to thrive." Participants will then hear from young influential people and BIK Youth representatives, who will share their thoughts and experiences about life online. Building on these insights, a youth-led interactive debate will take place.

Then, two deep dive sessions will occur for online and onsite participants. The first session will allow participants to identify and discuss the skills children and young people need to have safe and healthy online experiences. The second session will discuss the best ways to ensure that children and young people acquire and develop these skills and competences.

Deep dive session 1: What are the skills that children and young people need to thrive online?

• Mental health and well-being 
• Metaverse and immersive environments 
• Generative AI
• Girls and ICT careers
• Content creation
• Civic participation

Deep dive session 2: Effective ways to foster digital skills

• Formal, informal, and non-formal learning 
• Working with professionals who support vulnerable users
• Peer-to-peer and child-adult approaches 
• The role of industry in helping to foster digital skills
• Working with parents 

The final session of the day will focus on the future and next steps, where a panel discussion will delve into the perspectives of BIK Youth representatives, policymakers, teachers, and Safer Internet Centres.

For more information about Safer Internet Forum 2023, visit our website; outputs will progressively be added over time, and you can also learn more about past editions of SIF at the same location. 

Discover more about the youth involvement and their preparation for SIF 2023 on the BIK portal. To learn more about the BIK Youth Panel 2023 and SIF Youth Advisory Group 2023, please keep an eye on the BIK Youth minisite and Twitter profile. 

Make sure to follow #SaferInternetForum and #SIF2023 on social media for news from the day.