Child safety online

A WSIS Forum 2026 session called for a broader approach to young people’s mental health online, warning that screen time alone is an insufficient measure of digital well-being.

The session, ‘Young people’s mental health in an online world’, examined the impact of digital devices and social media on young people’s mental health, with speakers addressing regulation, education, psychological support and legal remedies.

Alexandre Carette, Information Specialist at the UN in Geneva and moderator of the session, said digital use is not only a concern for young people or experts, but for everyone who relies on digital tools. He linked the discussion to wider UN debates on access, privacy and the role of digital technologies in everyday life.

Niels Weber, a psychologist and psychotherapist in Switzerland specialising in hyperconnectivity, said screen time gives only limited information about young people’s mental health. He argued that the more important questions are what young people do on screens, what they do away from screens, and how digital practices fit into their wider development.

Weber also cautioned against describing most problematic digital use as addiction. He said many platforms are designed to prolong use, but that such a design should be understood as a retention problem rather than automatically as addiction. In clinical terms, he said the more relevant marker is suffering, either for the young person or for families who experience digital use as a constant source of conflict.

Tatiana Debrabandere, Project Manager at the High Council for Media Literacy in Belgium, said that francophone Belgium’s media education framework allows authorities and educators to study children’s and young people’s digital practices across life stages. She said young people are often informed and can have positive online experiences, but that policy debates still focus too much on limiting time online rather than understanding what they actually do there.

Debrabandere said media education should start from young people’s own practices, including what they watch, whom they follow and how they access information. She pointed to influencers and content creators as an important area for media literacy, especially where young people may struggle to distinguish journalism, opinion and commercial promotion.

Daniella Esi Darlington, CEO and co-founder of Alleina AI in Ghana and a member of ITU Secretary-General’s Youth Advisory Board, said young people are among the most active internet users and are therefore often exposed to digital harms. She argued that many platforms are not designed safely enough for young users and that algorithms are built to keep people engaged for long periods.

Darlington also stressed that technology can be part of the response. She cited awareness-raising, advocacy, reporting tools, access to counsellors and AI systems that can help identify cyberbullying as examples of how digital tools can support young people when combined with human oversight.

The panel also discussed loneliness and AI companions. Darlington warned that chatbots should not replace qualified professionals when young people discuss depression, anxiety or other forms of distress. Instead, she said systems should redirect users towards appropriate support and keep humans involved.

Speakers favoured education, dialogue and co-created policy over blanket bans. Debrabandere described political moves in Belgium towards smartphone bans in schools and possible social media restrictions, while Darlington argued that banning social media or internet access would not address the root causes of harm. She said young people also use the internet for research, business, opportunities and communication.

Darlington called for stronger governance frameworks, including child-specific human rights impact assessments in AI and digital policy. She said young people, parents, schools, governments, industry and other stakeholders should be involved in designing safer digital environments.

Weber gave a practical example from therapy, explaining that video games can sometimes help rebuild dialogue between young people and families. By opening a game during a therapy session, he said adults can better understand young people’s emotions, relationships and digital experiences.

Audience interventions raised additional concerns, including neurodivergent children, cyberbullying, individualised media consumption and peer accompaniment models. A participant from Colombia’s regulator asked whether there is sufficient evidence about technology’s impact on mental health and how platforms could be made to take greater responsibility.

Carette said science often shows correlation rather than clear causality, but warned that waiting for definitive proof could delay action. He argued that the lack of transparency in platform business models and algorithms is already a sufficient reason for regulatory attention, not only for young people but for society as a whole.

The session concluded that young people’s digital well-being should be understood in context, taking account of platform design, family life, education, loneliness, social pressure and access to support. Rather than relying only on bans or addiction labels, speakers pointed to media literacy, dialogue, youth participation and stronger accountability for technology providers.

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