At Tender, we’re urging the government to take action and improve support for young people navigating the online world, helping them build the skills to recognise harmful content, challenge it, and seek help when needed. Central to this is ensuring young people’s voices are heard.

Gaia, a member of Tender’s Youth Board, recently took part in an All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Youth Affairs. Read on for her experience.

On 14th July, I was invited to deliver a speech in Portcullis House (Parliament) at the APPG Youth Affairs meeting on social media. Chaired by Natasha Irons MP, the room was filled with young people, MPs, and representatives from charities – which was amazing to see!

The APPG meeting kicked off with insights and recommendations from panellists Wania Ahmad, Chair of the Youth Select Committee from the Youth Parliament; Matteo Bergamini MBE, Chief Executive of Shout Out UK; Almudena Lara, Policy Director for Child Safety at Ofcom; and Nicola Lee, representing Dignify, Associate Director of Community Services at One YMCA.

Key themes of the panel included the importance of implementing the Online Safety Act and holding tech companies accountable, the value of cross-sector collaboration and the need to educate both adults and young people on media literacy. I was the first young speaker up, which was a little bit nerve-wracking, but it was such an empowering moment to stand in front of MPs and present how young people should be supported online.

In my speech, I candidly shared my lived experiences – both as a young person navigating her early teens when social media apps like Snapchat first emerged, and as a multi-award-winning education content creator who, over the last five years, has documented many aspects of her life online. These two identities have allowed me to experience social media from different angles, providing me with a unique outlook on the opportunities and challenges that young people are exposed to online. For instance, social media has opened doors for me career-wise, enabled me to connect with loved ones around the world, and express myself creatively.

But it has also not been without harm.

I argued that navigating digital spaces should not have to be a trial-and-error situation where you only fully understand online harms once you’ve experienced them. Nor should online hate, misogynistic and violent content, cyberstalking, deepfakes, and the pressure to look a certain way be the norm and part of the ‘social media experience’.

I closed my speech by emphasising that the Government and tech companies need to fully commit to supporting young people and be part of meaningful change.

We also heard powerful speeches from young people from Catch22, Off the Record Youth Counselling, Scouts, Isle of Wight Youth Trust, The Mix, and Marine Society & Sea Cadets. After the APPG meeting concluded, I had the chance to network with the MPs, panellists, and young people in attendance, and continue this important conversation.

Here at Tender, we advocate for healthy relationships to become a specialist subject in schools, equipping young people with the necessary skills they need to challenge harmful beliefs and seek help when something doesn’t feel right online. As part of my role as a Youth Board member, I have the opportunity to shape and review Tender’s activities and resources that are used in their workshops with young people.

Thank you to Tender, Caroline Foster (YMCA) and the APPG for this opportunity to speak and advocate for young people.