Growing Up Digital: Young People & Technology Workshop

We are pleased to announce a joint workshop between the Technology, Internet and Policy Group and the Media and Politics Group titled Growing Up Digital: Young People & Technology.

The day-long event will take place at Coram's Lecture Hall (41 Brunswick Square, London, WC1N 1AZ), on Wednesday, 16 September, from 9.30 am to 5.00 pm, and will be a chance to consider the policy environment regarding how young people interact with wider society through social media platforms. The event will particularly provide an opportunity to network with other academics and policy makers working in this area.

The structure of the day will include:

1. Keynote debate: “What do we actually know?”
This session is designed to provide a shared diagnosis on how young people use social media platforms, the benefits and issues with this use, and to outline what evidence currently exists. This will take the form of three short provocations (one academic, one from a civil society researcher, and another with a policy background) who will respond to the question of “What does your sector know, and what remains unclear?”

Then mixed tables will seek to develop an evidence map to outline currently made claims into “well-evidenced” “assumed but untested” and “unknowable with current data”. These will be consolidated into a post-workshop briefing.

2.Policy Tables
The second session will include a structured speed networking activity based around “policy problem” tables based on participants areas of interest, including:

• Age assurance in practice: How can age verification checks be trusted? How are bypassing tricks being minimised?
• Scope of social media: Where does the boundary sit between social media and other online platforms (e.g. YouTube, Substack, Twitch), and how might the legislation survive platform change?
• Keeping children safe: Where are the opportunities for and limitations of policy and legislation to combat the harms children face on social media?
• Negative consequences of a ban: Making kids more vulnerable by using methods to skirt around the ban.

3. Two panel discussions featuring the latest academic and practitioner perspectives to key debates
These will be based on two related themes: 1) Protecting children without a ban: Approaches and recommendations on helping children accessing the internet safely; 2) Rights of children in a digital world: Protection from harm vs. the right to access the internet.

Tea, Coffee, drinks, and a lunch will be provided as part of the day. Please indicate any dietary requirements when ordering your ticket.

Please note that spaces for this event are limited. Once all tickets have been allocated, we will open a waitlist. If you register and can no longer attend, we ask you to please cancel your ticket on TicketTailor. If you have any difficulties, please use the Contact button at the bottom of the page to let us know.

We also have a small number of travel bursaries for early career attendees and those from underrepresented backgrounds. If you would like to be considered for a bursary, please let us know by emailing tip@psa.ac.uk by Monday, 7th September and give brief details of the expenses you would need covering.

This event is funded by the Political Studies Association’s Excellence & Impact Fund 2026/27, and by the TIP and MPG group.