About

How does Better Internet for Kids work for youth?

Under the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) umbrella, many smaller projects, campaigns and initiatives were created, all believing in a better internet for children and young people. Aiming to give youth a one-stop-shop to share their views on how to build a better internet, the BIK Youth minisite was launched! 
 
The main objective? To raise awareness about the importance of involving youth participants in safer/better internet discussions. This BIK Youth minisite provides a space to present ideas, views and experiences from youth, while also reporting on national, European and international youth participation models, practices and success stories. 
 
How did we get here? Each year, a BIK Youth Panel is organised prior and during the Safer Internet Forum (SIF), encouraging a group of youth panellists and ambassadors to voice not just their personal opinions and challenges, but also those of their peers whom they are representing at a European level. Youth panellists work together to come up with principles and activities for a better internet, first debating issues in online meetings and brainstorming over youth participation activities as preparation for meeting face to face.
 

Who plays what part in Youth participation activities?

A co-creation process with young people is behind this project, where ultimately young people develop youth participation activities for online safety guidance, learning, campaigning and/or decision making. Following the launch of this minisite in November 2017, BIK Youth Panellists and Ambassadors continue to be actively involved in creating a number of youth participation activities and implementation models. Check them out in the Participation section of this website! 
 
Who are they addressing? Youth! The outcomes of this work will also provide a structured overview of how BIK Youth Panellists – together with other stakeholders – co-create and implement youth-focussed activities to cover the key principles essential to creating a better internet.
 

Youth and BIK stakeholders

BIK Youth Panellists and Ambassadors aim to voice their opinions to a range of Better Internet for Kids stakeholders while reflecting on, and providing specific guidance for, public sector and industry commitments.  
 
Examples? The Alliance to better protect minors online is a self-regulatory initiative aiming to improve the online environment for children and young people. The Alliance launched its Statement of Purpose during Safer Internet Day 2017, which introduced nine actions under three main strands: User-empowerment, Enhance collaboration, and Awareness raising.
 
BIK Youth Panellists had the chance to interact with various stakeholders during Safer Internet Forum 2022, bringing their input and addressing real challenges on online safety.
 

Meet the Ambassadors

Below you can find out more about the 2022 BIK Youth Ambassadors. To meet all our previous Youth Ambassadors, visit the Ambassadors page where you can also learn more about how BIK Youth Ambassadors are selected.

 

Adrián (Spain)

Hello! My name is Adrián and I come from Spain. I'm currently 17 years old. I took part in the Safer Internet Forums of 2020 and 2022. I believe children and young people's opinions really matter and aren't heard enough, specially by governments and companies. I think that projects like BIK can truly make this happen and make a difference in our society, that's why I'm proud of being part of it.

 

 

Alide (Estonia)

Hello, my name is Alide and I’m from Estonia. I’m currently 15 years old. I’m interested in politics and psychology. My favorite after school activities are singing and talking with friends. I have been a BIK Youth Ambassador for two years and I hope to be an ambassador this year too! My mission is to make internet better for kids not only in Europe but around the world.

 

 

Alisa (Finland)

Hi! My name is Alisa. I'm a 16-year-old from Finland. My interests are films, music, politics and astronomy. One of my biggest interests is the evolution of technology and how it affects everyday life. I was a part of the BIK Youth Panel in the 2022 Safer Internet Forum. Being a part of the BIK team has been one of my most interesting and educational opportunities so far. In the future, I hope to advocate for a safer internet and raise awareness of the issues regarding young people and the internet. Taking advantage of vulnerable internet users is too easy these days, and we need to ensure that everyone has a safe and enjoyable experience when online!

 

 

Daria (Romania)

Hello, my name is Daria, I’m currently 16 and I live in Bucharest, Romania. I took part in the Safer Internet Forum 2022 which was a great experience that allowed me to learn and share my opinion about children’s online safety. I have been interested in this field for quite a long time and I have been an active ambassador by going to schools and teaching lessons about online safety, cyberbullying, grooming and other dangerous activities that take place in the online environment. I feel like we, as a youth panel, have already started having an impact on the world and my goal is to continue making as many changes as we can.

 

Emily (Cyprus)

Hey! My name is Emily, I’m 17 and I live in Larnaca, Cyprus. I am interested in law and politics, which is why I’m passionate about finding ways to make the internet, something we all use daily, a safer place. I took part in the BIK Youth Panel and Safer Internet Forum 2022 in Brussels, and I really liked how we all worked together, shared ideas and perspectives and ultimately took one step forward in the right direction in terms of safer internet use.

 

 

Teresa (Portugal)

Hello, I’m Teresa from Portugal and I’m 18 years old. I’m majoring in textile engineering in college, but I have many interests. I joined a group in my local school about internet security back in eighth grade when I was 14 years old. Since then, I have always been very passionate about helping others figuring more about how to be safe on the internet because I would love if someone did that for me. I joined the BIK Youth Panel in 2022, and I’m super excited to keep on working on this project. Projects like this are important because children deserve to have a voice in this big world, because they are the ones who can change it. Last but not least the message I always try to spread is “Once on the internet, forever on the internet”.

 

Theodora (Romania)

Hi everyone! My name is Theodora, I'm 18 and I'm from Romania. My interests are defending the rights of children, women and minority groups by participating in various activism and volunteering activities in my city. I participate in the BIK Youth Panel and in the Safer Internet Forum 2022 which was an amazing opportunity for me to learn about Internet security and also to meet people from all over Europe, with whom have common interests. I believe that it’s very important to give young people the chance to express their beliefs and ideas, as this is the only way things can change for the better. My hope is that in the near future young people will be able to enjoy technology to connect, learn and grow, without fear of harassment, cyberbullying and harmful content.