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A. Draft resolution
(open)
Report | Doc. 15726 | 10 March 2023
Youth and the media
Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media
Summary
The report provides an overview of the key media challenges facing the youth in Europe. The digital environment offers a wealth of information and a potential for knowledge-sharing that are as yet unrivalled in human history, but this opportunity is not without risks for the young, nor without responsibility for the public authorities and economic operators in the field.
The Parliamentary Assembly must call on operators to ensure the protection of young people’s data and privacy and to regulate illegal content, and, in particular, unlawful pornographic material, which is a major problem for young people. There is also a need to ensure that young people’s creative potential in the digital environment is not hindered nor economically exploited.
The balance between freedom and regulation is fundamental. The recommendations which appear in the draft resolution seek to respect such a balance. Through new media, young people are networking, thinking and acting together, building their own identity and shaping our societies, and it is the duty of States, regulators, educators, civil society and private platforms to ensure that the young people of today are the informed and responsible adults of the future.
A. Draft resolution 
(open)1. Through new media, young Europeans
are developing social relationships and expressing their concerns,
aspirations and expectations in a way that is quite different from
previous generations. The Covid-19 pandemic and measures taken to
combat its spread had a huge impact on their lives: they suffered, probably
more than adults, from social distancing and lockdowns; at the same
time, they show a greater readiness to turn to the digital world
and new media to communicate with close family, friends and peers.
2. The Parliamentary Assembly considers it vital to ensure safe
social media use for young people and to promote youth participation
in social, economic and political life via the media.
3. Whether people use traditional media or non-mainstream digital
media, their habits and practices in accessing news and seeking
information are largely influenced by their age. Online and social
media platforms are the prime sources of information for young people.
There are two patterns of news consumption: on the one hand, and
more often than not, an accidental exposure to news, which is consulted
in a piecemeal fashion on digital platforms; on the other hand,
deliberate news consumption on social networking sites, with a degree of
interest and engagement that varies greatly from person to person.
4. With regard to the news, the major challenge is to ensure
that all sources – whether digital-born, non-mainstream news platforms
or traditional media – provide young people with high-quality news
reporting and encourage them to play an active and deliberate part
in civic and political life.
5. By design, technologies are likely to trigger addictive user
behaviour, especially among the young. For the latter, constant
connectivity and immediate responsiveness have become the norm,
leaving them vulnerable to problems such as digital stress, fear
of missing out and “technoference” – constant interruptions in interpersonal
interactions caused by technological, digital and mobile devices.
6. Children and young people face information overload on the
internet. They are exposed to a multitude of material and narratives
promoted on social networks by influencers, TikTokers, YouTubers
and video bloggers with sway over young audiences grappling with
a complex world. Such social network influencers are often disseminators
of misinformation, toxic advertising and harmful, or even unlawful,
content.
7. Some young people may also be drawn in by online incitement
to violence and radicalisation, although many are quick to speak
out against hate speech and discrimination. Abusive and harmful
content for young people also includes non-consensual pornography,
which must be tackled through regulation.
8. The challenge of a sustainable regulatory approach is to strike
a balance between ensuring minors’ safe social media use and digital
self-determination and, at the same time, protecting them from potentially
harmful behaviours and other dangers.
9. One major source of concern relates to digital identity and
online reputation, namely the need for safety measures and data
privacy protection for young people, who are not always aware of
the risks linked to digital technologies. In this respect, it is
crucial to take into account minors’ cognitive abilities and to
effectively uphold the right to have one’s personal data erased
(“right to be forgotten”).
10. Young people’s participatory and collaborative culture is
influenced by their internet, social network and digital technology
usage patterns. Young people’s degree of trust in the media affects
their interest and engagement.
11. Through new media, young people are networking, thinking and
acting together, building their own identity and shaping our societies.
Participatory media have formed a landscape that is conducive to participatory
politics in which young people do not just follow elite-driven information.
Media platforms create opportunities for young people to express
their views on today’s crucial issues like human rights, environmental protection,
sustainable development and peace. They have a legitimate desire
to be influential in making crucial choices.
12. However, there is a substantial disconnect between institutional
politics and the daily lives of certain groups, especially young
women and young people from minorities, which is reflected in their
perceptions of politicians. Some young people do not feel listened
to or represented in institutional politics and there is a “technological
disjunction” between traditional political media and other types
of information technology.
13. New approaches need to be found to make young people’s voices
more audible in traditional media too, to converse with them in
order to tap into their way of contributing to the social fabric,
to better protect those who may be more exposed and vulnerable to
harmful content online and to empower the many who are seeking to
build a better future.
14. In the digital environment, young people are the main drivers
behind both the dissemination and the production of information.
The digital ecosystem thus provides young people with the tools
and spaces to be both active and creative consumers and producers
of culture. Their data, attention, culture, labour and creativity,
however, are being commodified to generate profits that media operators
do not share equitably. Such participation in the digital economy
entails power relations: through “aspirational labour”, young people create
and produce content for free in the hope of a future career, thereby
forming a class of data workers who are subject to asymmetrical
relationships and even exploitation of their skills.
15. The Assembly therefore calls on member States to develop a
media ecosystem that ensures the provision of high-quality news
reporting and digital safety for young people and strengthens their
democratic engagement. In this respect, it is necessary to:
15.1. better protect the media’s editorial
independence and enhance the role and visibility of professional
journalists;
15.2. support public service media and independent and local
media outlets by providing them with adequate financial resources
so that they can encourage responsible news consumption and democratic engagement
among young people;
15.3. support the presence of news media on social networks
to disseminate news that takes into account the diversity and specific
needs of certain groups of young people, in particular those from minority
backgrounds, for example, young migrants;
15.4. fund and promote research on safety and well-being online;
15.5. provide financial support for fact-checking initiatives
to counteract mis- and disinformation;
15.6. promote (publicly and privately-run) media literacy programmes
aimed at countering the trend among young people for intermittent
“news snacking” and at strengthening young users’ digital and critical
thinking skills so that they are better equipped to tackle information
disorder and harmful content and to identify and challenge abusive
content and advertising practices on the internet;
15.7. strengthen the role of data protection and competition
authorities; in particular, ensure compliance with data protection
rules for young people under the age of 18 and enforce appropriate measures
to make corporate platforms comply with all the relevant requirements
in terms of surveillance and the protection of privacy;
15.8. consider a voluntary or compulsory digital identity system
and strengthen young people’s capacity to protect their own online
reputation;
15.9. align their national legislation with the standards set
by the Council of Europe Convention for the Protection of Individuals
with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data (ETS No. 108, “Convention
108”) and its modernised version (ETS No. 181, “Convention 108+”);
in particular, introduce strict penalties for major social media
platforms when they engage in unfair commercial practices and collect
and use data about minors for commercial purposes, including targeted
marketing and personalised advertising;
15.10. enhance the role of national media and advertising regulatory
authorities and ensure compliance with measures to protect users,
especially the most vulnerable, from online harassment and harmful content
on video-sharing platforms and social networks;
15.11. step up efforts to prevent and combat online harassment
by disseminating research and education on media ethics and by requiring
health-care professionals and educators working with children and
young adults to routinely screen for cyberbullying;
15.12. regulate pornography platforms in Europe and impose harsher
penalties on intermediary services that do not comply with the requirement
to remove non-consensual imagery, including revenge porn, fake porn
and deepfakes;
15.13. implement appropriate measures to ensure that advertisements
on video-sharing platforms comply with specific advertising requirements
around transparency, prohibited and restricted products and other
general advertising requirements; promote uniform approaches to
social media regulation on limiting or banning advertisements aimed
at children, including those for harmful foods.
16. The Assembly also calls on member States to promote the participation
of young people in social and economic life via the media, bearing
in mind that digital transformation may lead to structural inequalities
and reproduce existing ones, including through the invasion of privacy,
exploitation of free labour and surveillance. In this respect, it
is necessary to:
16.1. stimulate
youth civic development and political engagement by tackling incivility
in online political discourse and by adapting the way politicians
engage with young people;
16.2. develop metrics to measure online economic value created
by young people and fund research on the development of their economic
understanding;
16.3. adopt regulations to tackle the new forms of youth labour
exploitation that have emerged in digital economy ecosystems;
16.4. ensure that youth educational programmes raise awareness
of and teach digital financial literacy and promote young people’s
input into the changing digital economic landscape.
B. Explanatory memorandum by Ms Fiona O’Loughlin, rapporteur
(open)1. Introduction
1. The internet and digital platforms
have become the most widely used means not only of accessing and disseminating
information, but also of communicating in a broader sense. The digital
environment, with its wide variety of information sources and constant
stream of news, may be used for research or for keeping up with professional
and personal contacts. The benefits, in terms of accessibility and
instantaneous availability, are undeniable.
2. For younger generations, social media are their preferred
means of communication and creative expression and their go-to source
for information, games and entertainment in general. They are also
a tool for young people who increasingly want to have their say
in today’s crucial issues and global challenges such as human rights,
environmental protection, sustainable development and peace. Clearly,
the development of digital networks has opened up a wealth of creative,
educational, inclusive, diverse and revolutionary opportunities
for youth empowerment.
3. Technological change does not only bring advantages, however.
It also throws up risks and challenges such as information disorder
and regulatory gaps in digital spaces: mis- and disinformation,
manipulation, incitement to violence, online harassment, isolation
in “filter bubbles” and belief in conspiracy theories. These all
leave adults at risk – and young people even more so. We need to
be aware of these dangers and develop strategies to counter them
while upholding young people’s fundamental rights.
4. As many young people have not been taught media literacy and
do not have good news consumption habits, they are unable to manage
their information intake by selecting reliable news sources. The
way social media are driven by algorithms helps to spread divisive,
polarising and sensationalist content that is potentially dangerous
for young people.
5. The safety issues related to illegal content, including cybercrime,
pornography, cyberbullying and violence, are wide-ranging. In addition,
there is a real risk that some content may have harmful effects
on the self-perception, body image and health practices of children
and young people.
6. We must protect the young from these risks by enabling them
to use social media in a safe, healthy and creative way. As noted
in the motion for a resolution underlying this report, new approaches need to be found to
make young people’s voices more audible in traditional media too,
to converse with them so as to enhance their ability to contribute
to the social fabric, to better protect those who may be more exposed
and vulnerable to harmful content online and to empower the many
who are seeking to build a better future.
new approaches need to be found to
make young people’s voices more audible in traditional media too,
to converse with them so as to enhance their ability to contribute
to the social fabric, to better protect those who may be more exposed
and vulnerable to harmful content online and to empower the many
who are seeking to build a better future.7. There is a wide range of patterns as regards young people’s
interaction with mainstream and non-mainstream news media. Using
a qualitative approach lets us focus on two aspects: young people’s
safe social media use and their social engagement through the media.
8. Key issues of practical interest to the various stakeholders
include identifying what young people value in the news, their underlying
needs and motives for consuming and engaging with news media, their relationship
with mainstream news programming, their overall trust in professional
media reporting and the perceived value of quality journalism in
the current mis- and disinformation crisis.
9. In terms of communicating online, watching videos and keeping
up with the news, a fast pace has become the norm, with all the
attendant safety, digital privacy and reputational issues. Revelations
that Facebook repeatedly made misleading statements about the size
of its audience should be a wake-up call to us as legislators responsible
for upholding people’s rights, whether online or offline. In the
light of such threats to young people’s digital self-determination,
education about data protection and online safety must be stepped up.
Teaching digital citizenship includes equipping young people with
the skills to understand and protect their data privacy and safety
when interacting with artificial intelligence, developing education
and awareness about the short- and long-term consequences of the
digital footprint or “shadow” left by their online activities and ensuring
young people are better informed about the commercial data practices
used by social media platform providers.
10. Influencers act as intermediaries between young people and
their complex environment, but in the absence of proper regulation
they also pose threats in terms of misinformation, misleading advertising
and harmful content including pornography, the sexualisation of
minors and gender stereotypes, in particular.
11. Media ethics should be an integral part of interdisciplinary
programmes combining formal and informal learning, educational programmes
and awareness-raising campaigns run by both traditional and digital
media. Young people need to be taught about editorial independence,
the role of public service broadcasting and journalistic codes of
ethics so as to counter the spread of harmful content and fake news.
12. A media environment combining traditional and new media offers
young people many perspectives, experiences and opportunities to
engage individually in society or their community. The various forms
of social participation via the media should be explored, taking
into account the barriers faced by some categories of young people,
especially young women and people from minority groups.
13. Social engagement can also include political involvement and
participation via the media. Digital technologies afford a means
to participate in democratic activities and promote democratic citizenship,
but that, in turn, requires certain rules of civility to be observed
in online discourse and adaptation on the part of policy makers.
This is an issue of crucial importance for the elected representatives
of the member States and for the functioning of our democracies
in the future.
14. Lastly, young people are involved in a variety of paid and
unpaid economic transactions on the internet, including “aspirational
labour” through creative expression on social media. These forms
of free labour generate power asymmetries in the digital economy
that lead to structural inequalities. Combating this kind of labour
exploitation is vital.
15. This report has two aims: firstly, to assess the current challenges
and opportunities associated with the access, exposure and engagement
of young audiences with a wide variety of mainstream and non-mainstream digital
news sources; and secondly, to present member States with specific
conclusions and recommendations in this respect.
16. My analysis draws on the report by Ms Adriana Mutu, lecturer
and academic director at ESIC Business and Marketing School in Barcelona, whom I would like to thank for
her excellent work. I have also taken into account the contributions
of other experts who participated in the committee hearing on 9
May 2022: Mr Pasquale Stanzione, president of the Italian Data Protection
Authority (Garante per la protezione dei dati personali), Italy;
Ms Mariek Vanden Abeele, lecturer in Digital Culture at the Department
of Communication Sciences of Ghent University, Belgium; and Mr Vittorio
Gattari, board member of the Italian Youth Council, member of the
Advisory Council on Youth of the Council of Europe.
whom I would like to thank for
her excellent work. I have also taken into account the contributions
of other experts who participated in the committee hearing on 9
May 2022: Mr Pasquale Stanzione, president of the Italian Data Protection
Authority (Garante per la protezione dei dati personali), Italy;
Ms Mariek Vanden Abeele, lecturer in Digital Culture at the Department
of Communication Sciences of Ghent University, Belgium; and Mr Vittorio
Gattari, board member of the Italian Youth Council, member of the
Advisory Council on Youth of the Council of Europe.17. In the report, the terms “youth” and “young people” are used
to refer to all minors (namely, in general, persons under the age
of 18 in the European Union). The report also addresses the patterns
of both digital and mainstream media consumption, participation
and engagement of the following age groups: Generation Z (digital
natives aged 18-24) and Generation Y/millennials (aged 25-35).
2. Young people’s safe social media use
2.1. Young people’s news media usage and consumption habits on social media networks
18. Ever-changing news ecosystems
and unprecedented access and exposure to a wide variety of mainstream
(legacy media) and non-mainstream digital news sources (particularly
social media platforms and news aggregators) call for increased
awareness and scrutiny of young people’s news media usage and consumption
habits and behaviours. Such habits and practices follow certain
patterns, of which age is one of the most predictive factors.
19. Geographical location is another predictive factor, since
young Europeans’ browsing and news media consumption habits vary
from country to country. There is, however, a growing general trend:
online social media platforms and networks are their primary news
sources. Young audiences mix news consumption with social networking,
problem solving, social action and entertainment. It is not young
people who try to find news, the news comes to them via social networks.
Young adults often read news recommended by their peers on social
networks, as well as via group texts and instant messaging. In the digital environment, young
people do not follow the news: it follows them.
In the digital environment, young
people do not follow the news: it follows them.20. The fact that social media is becoming the primary gateway
to news and information reflects a shifting dynamic between traditional
news outlets, which are directly connected to their audiences, and
social media platforms, where young adults are more likely to come
across news incidentally,
as they do not actively seek it out themselves. In addition, young
people with low levels of trust in the media tend to prefer non-traditional news
sources such as social media and blogs.
21. Understanding this phenomenon and above all, taking it into
account, could help media organisations and journalists make their
products and formats more appealing to young audiences so as to
engage them, restore overall trust in professional media reporting
and build brand loyalty.
22. There are four key news moments which depend on external variables
such as personal habits, work lives and the medium in question:
a moment “dedicated” to news consumption, a moment to get “updated”
and catch up with the latest news, a moment when checking the news
is a “time-filler”, and a moment when attention is “intercepted”
by news. In addition, four types of news consumers have been identified:
“Heritage News Consumers”, “Dedicated News Devotees”, “Passive News
Absorbers”, and “Proactive News Lovers”.
23. The habits and behaviours of these different types of news
consumers are influenced by the extent to which news brands form
the epicentre of the individual’s news experience (self-led to brand-led)
and the level of engagement an individual has with news items in
general (low consumption to high consumption). Self-led consumers
consult what they deem relevant, whereas brand-led consumers see
news brands as the gatekeepers of news.
24. Young people’s news consumption habits are also influenced
by a number of key elements such as the news agenda, content, format
and tone, as well as differences between platforms, between traditional
media, between age groups and between different payment methods.
The young often feel that consuming news is “a chore”, which
in turn feeds into the perception that traditional news content
is not attractive or appealing enough.
which
in turn feeds into the perception that traditional news content
is not attractive or appealing enough.25. With regard to social networking sites, the difference between
incidental news exposure and deliberate news consumption is an interesting
point to consider. Incidental news consumption in the online media environment
means that young people may be exposed to information or news they
did not actively seek out. They literally stumble upon news without
having deliberately set out to find it. “Encountering” news in this
way can be regarded as a by-product of other activities, something
occurring within the habitual use of a certain medium, channel or
content. Researchers refer
to this phenomenon as a “checking cycle”, in which one constantly
checks one’s phone to stay on top of what is occurring both in one’s
personal life and in the world at large, and as “news snacking”,
which describes the consumption of brief news pieces and a lean-back
way of news processing.
refer
to this phenomenon as a “checking cycle”, in which one constantly
checks one’s phone to stay on top of what is occurring both in one’s
personal life and in the world at large, and as “news snacking”,
which describes the consumption of brief news pieces and a lean-back
way of news processing.26. Young people’s incidental or deliberate news consumption on
social media was measured in relation to how news is viewed on their
social media networks feeds and the role played by friends and followers.
There has been a decrease in the use of legacy news media on traditional
platforms, whereas social networking sites such as Facebook, Instagram
and Twitter are an increasingly significant source for news. This
means that while social networking sites are not a primary source
themselves, they are an important distributor of current affairs from
legacy media companies and other conventional sources.
27. Our challenge, and that of the media, is to ensure that digital-born
news sources, non-mainstream news platforms and traditional media
outlets are providing young audiences with high-quality news reporting
and encouraging them to engage with news media actively and deliberately.
Indeed, despite increasing rates of news consumption on social media
and declining audience ratings for traditional media, the latter
are still perceived by young people as reputable and reliable sources
delivering quality journalism. As might be expected, very low trust
in the news media is associated with a preference for non-mainstream
news sources, while audiences with very high trust in the media
organisations are most likely to consume news from traditional sources.
28. The role of journalists as information providers and as professional
gatekeepers has changed over time. The fact that professional journalists
are not always perceived as relevant news sources is concerning.
Young people are less attached to specific media channels and pay
little attention to professional journalists. However, there are
ways to raise the profile of independent, community and local media
projects by providing public funding to reduce reliance on advertising.
29. The media should bring their news formats, products and delivery
up to date and find new ways of engaging and interacting with young
audiences, who are either deliberately looking for quality news
reporting and accountable journalism or incidentally coming across
news items that match their interests.
30. Incidental news consumption might also be addressed and countered
by working with the various stakeholders to develop media educational
and literacy programmes. Young people need
to understand the media’s agenda-setting role and be encouraged
to actively participate and make individual and collective decisions
based on quality information so that they can democratically engage
in the public sphere.
Young people need
to understand the media’s agenda-setting role and be encouraged
to actively participate and make individual and collective decisions
based on quality information so that they can democratically engage
in the public sphere.31. Lastly, it is important to take into account the attitude
to news consumption of young people from minority backgrounds, for
example young migrants born outside their current country of residence,
who are deliberately turning to social networks because they want
to keep up with current affairs in general and with civic and political
issues. Accordingly, news media
organisations should use social media networks and platforms with a
real potential for high audience engagement so as to promote international
current affairs and showcase their brand, especially among culturally
diverse younger audiences living outside their country of origin.
Accordingly, news media
organisations should use social media networks and platforms with a
real potential for high audience engagement so as to promote international
current affairs and showcase their brand, especially among culturally
diverse younger audiences living outside their country of origin.2.2. Safety, digital privacy and reputation: digital self-determination
32. In recent years, legal action
has been brought against social media platforms – including tech
giant TikTok – on several occasions for violating children’s privacy
and consumer rights. In 2021,
whistleblower Frances Haugen’s revelations that it was Facebook
policy to mislead investors about the company’s safety approach
and audience sizes triggered a call for greater awareness and better
education about the data safety, protection and privacy measures
implemented in Europe by tech giants and other stakeholders at national
and international levels.
In 2021,
whistleblower Frances Haugen’s revelations that it was Facebook
policy to mislead investors about the company’s safety approach
and audience sizes triggered a call for greater awareness and better
education about the data safety, protection and privacy measures
implemented in Europe by tech giants and other stakeholders at national
and international levels.33. To raise awareness of such worrying issues and fight back,
it is crucial to ensure that young people are informed about the
importance of the privacy and safety issues around the personal
data they share online when using social networking and online shopping
platforms, mobile applications, sensors and trackers. It is also
vital to continue research into digital self-determination.
34. Much of the public conversation around young people and digital
technologies has focused on weighing up the dangers and understanding
the damage that might be done by these technologies, while also recognising
that younger audiences’ use of digital media may have its benefits.
It is necessary to look beyond risk-oriented public policies and
towards the challenges and opportunities digital technologies present
for young people and their interests. This includes the conditions
in which young people have access to the internet, their level of
agency when using digital technologies and degree of experience
in that respect, their rights and responsibilities, the types of
activities they engage in and how they do so in creative, meaningful, ethical,
responsible and participatory ways.
35. In order to build such digital capabilities and ensure “digital well-being”, young people must be given access
to training and education to acquire the necessary skills for making
better use of digital technologies. Concepts such as digital citizenship,
digital literacy, digital determination and new media literacies
have been used to group and organise these skills into educational
programmes that may be implemented in formal, informal and connected
learning environments.
and ensure “digital well-being”, young people must be given access
to training and education to acquire the necessary skills for making
better use of digital technologies. Concepts such as digital citizenship,
digital literacy, digital determination and new media literacies
have been used to group and organise these skills into educational
programmes that may be implemented in formal, informal and connected
learning environments. 36. The fact that internet use leaves a digital footprint or “shadow”,
how to minimise this and manage digital identity are all issues
that need to be addressed by stakeholders, including public institutions
and educators. Young people should be taught about digital footprints
and their advantages and disadvantages, develop an understanding
of the issue of privacy loss on the internet and learn who is tracking
users online and in what way, and how privacy laws in various parts
of the world may affect their digital footprint. Consideration should be
given to introducing optional or compulsory digital citizenship
education to empower young people to understand privacy and safeguard
their own data while online and to improving education and awareness about
the short- and long-term consequences of digital footprints or “shadows”.
Young people should also be better informed about the commercial
data practices used by social network platform providers.
37. Today’s digital threats include the collection of personal
data and commercial data practices, online surveillance tools and
facial recognition technology used by social media platform providers.
It should be noted that the European Union has adopted a new regulation
– the Digital Services Act – that will come into force in 2023. It bans certain types of targeted
advertising on online platforms when children are concerned or particular
categories of personal data are used, such as ethnic origin, political
opinions and sexual orientation. It would be a good idea to extend
this legislation to non-EU countries in Europe.
It bans certain types of targeted
advertising on online platforms when children are concerned or particular
categories of personal data are used, such as ethnic origin, political
opinions and sexual orientation. It would be a good idea to extend
this legislation to non-EU countries in Europe.38. Further research is needed on the various aspects of digital
self-determination, from control over personal data to self-expression,
participation in civic life and the digital economy, relationship-building,
health and well-being, so as to initiate critical dialogue on how
to define and understand the problems and potential of digital self-determination.
It is important to ensure there is funding for research into online
risks, including cyberbullying, sexual harassment, impersonation,
exposure to pornography, violent or aggressive content, harmful
speech, content about drugs and racist content.
2.3. Youth-based networks and exposure to toxic advertising
39. Platforms and social networks
facilitate access to news, providing means to engage in the news
process through commenting, sharing and posting online. Young people
are therefore exposed to advertising largely on the basis of the
interests and behaviour of those they connect with via these platforms
and social networks. In particular, young people are exposed to
a wide variety of discourses and practices promoted by social media influencers,
TikTokers, YouTubers and video bloggers who increasingly act as
“interpreters” or “guides” for younger people, by helping to distil
the complexity of daily news streams, pre-selecting topics and posting comments
that reflect their own personal opinions.
40. Social network influencers also hold great sway over young
people, however. They are often the primary peddlers of misinformation,
leaving young people exposed to harmful material and unsavoury advertising practices.
For example, harmful material may feature pornographic scenes, the
sexualisation of minors and gender stereotyping in advertising for
children’s toys, etc. In addition, TikTokers often do not clearly
indicate or disclose that they are advertising or promoting certain
brands.
41. Such practices call for more robust regulation and for the
protection of children and minors, including regulation of online
advertising, product placement, branded content and covert advertising.
Video sharing platforms that are liable to be accessed by children
should also ensure that they meet data protection requirements.
42. Some European countries have started to introduce legislation
on the role of online influencers. On 8 July 2022, Spain adopted
a general law on audiovisual communication that includes influencers
as audiovisual service providers. In 2021, Norway passed regulations targeting
manipulated images, requiring social media influencers and advertisers
to attach a disclaimer label to retouched images. The legislation, which
has been in force since the summer of 2022, also applies to images
shared by influencers and other public figures who post edited photos
of themselves to advertise products or services. Lawmakers are therefore well
placed to tackle such abusive practices.
In 2021, Norway passed regulations targeting
manipulated images, requiring social media influencers and advertisers
to attach a disclaimer label to retouched images. The legislation, which
has been in force since the summer of 2022, also applies to images
shared by influencers and other public figures who post edited photos
of themselves to advertise products or services. Lawmakers are therefore well
placed to tackle such abusive practices.43. Media regulators also have a role to play in setting out specific
advertising measures for providers of video-sharing platforms. For
example, OFCOM, the UK media regulator, published a guide for video-sharing platform
providers in 2021 setting out specific advertising measures, including
a requirement to provide the functionality for anyone uploading
a video to declare whether or not it contains advertising.
44. Despite the existence of such best practices, member States
do not yet have a uniform approach to video-sharing platform providers
to ensure that they understand the wide-ranging requirements in
terms of data protection or harmful content that apply to online
advertising aimed at under-18s. There is an urgent need to act.
2.4. Youth and cyberbullying
45. In the digital ecosystem, online
harassment, cyberbullying and cyberaggression come in various forms including
impersonation, hacking into others’ accounts, disseminating photos
or videos online, spreading defamatory material online and other
intentional behaviour via electronic devices that aims to inflict
harm on victims.
46. Cyberbullying aimed at young people (or among young people)
is a widespread phenomenon in all European countries and its effects on children’s mental
health have been well-documented in medical literature, with evidence
of higher rates of depression, self-harm and suicidal ideation among
victims. A study on the various kinds of toxic and hateful comments
and how they proliferate on videos by and for young people on YouTube
revealed that one in 20 comments is inappropriate and that an initial
hateful comment opens the door for others. These findings are all the
more striking given that children are still drawn to YouTube and are
keen to make a career out of creating videos on this platform.
and its effects on children’s mental
health have been well-documented in medical literature, with evidence
of higher rates of depression, self-harm and suicidal ideation among
victims. A study on the various kinds of toxic and hateful comments
and how they proliferate on videos by and for young people on YouTube
revealed that one in 20 comments is inappropriate and that an initial
hateful comment opens the door for others. These findings are all the
more striking given that children are still drawn to YouTube and are
keen to make a career out of creating videos on this platform.47. It is therefore necessary to address the problem of cyberbullying
in all its complexity and examine what possible new solutions and
approaches exist to help stakeholders reconceptualise, prevent and
mitigate this phenomenon more effectively. Initiatives should be
implemented alongside the existing provisions of the revised EU
Audiovisual Media Services Directive aimed at strengthening the
protection of minors and the general public against cyberbullying
victimisation, harmful content including sexism, incitement to racism
and other discriminatory content.
48. Measures have already been introduced in member States either
through regulation or in the
form of guidelines. This approach should be scaled up,
either through the transposition of the revised EU Audiovisual Media
Services Directive or through specific regulations for non-EU member
States. The issue of how to deal with online comments is vital.
Big tech platforms responding rapidly to remove potentially harmful
comments is a crucial factor, whether their detection relies on
algorithms or user alerts.
or in the
form of guidelines. This approach should be scaled up,
either through the transposition of the revised EU Audiovisual Media
Services Directive or through specific regulations for non-EU member
States. The issue of how to deal with online comments is vital.
Big tech platforms responding rapidly to remove potentially harmful
comments is a crucial factor, whether their detection relies on
algorithms or user alerts.49. Pornographic content is sadly a distinct part of cyberbullying
and pornography platforms and intermediary services play a major
role in the dissemination of non-consensual pornography.
50. Non-consensual material includes upskirting, spycam, hidden
cam, revenge porn and leaked or stolen images. They also include
fake porn and deepfakes, where digital face-swap technology is used
to map the faces of celebrities or private individuals on to explicit
sexual material, which is then circulated online. This is a rapidly
growing phenomenon in Europe.
51. Although major platforms have taken steps to tackle the issue,
non-consensual material remains easily accessible, free and even
organised by genre and category. The readily available and non-consensual pornography
legitimises and normalises such abuse. Regulation is therefore justified
in view of the frequency and impact of non-consensual images on
the networks, to the extent that almost a third of all women in
the EU fear that fake intimate images of themselves could be shared
online without their consent.
52. A path forward may again be found in EU legislation on digital
services, which includes new provisions to ensure that intermediary
service providers comply with the requirement to reduce the amount
of non-consensual pornography on their sites, notably through a
“trusted flagger” mechanism whereby entities (who have been awarded
that status in their member State on the basis of their expertise)
submit notices that are treated as a priority.
53. Beyond regulation, current and future stakeholders’ endeavours
to prevent and tackle online harassment depend in part on their
being aware of and having access to scholarly work on media ethics
for a public audience. This in turn requires that governments fund
research projects that aim to address cyberbullying and provide
practical guidance on preventing and responding to this phenomenon.
Research on cyberbullying should also take into account risk factors
for victimisation such as disability, ethnic group, gender and sexual orientation.
Lastly, health-care providers and educators dealing with children
and young adults play a key role in identifying online harassment.
However, the availability of training funding for such providers
is a matter for the member States and varies from country to country.
3. Young people’s social engagement through and with the help of the media
3.1. Youth participation and engagement in a convergent media environment
54. The degree of trust in the
media greatly influences interest, engagement and participation.
Forms of online participatory behaviour, seen as a feature of civic
engagement in democratic societies, include accessing, producing,
sharing and commenting on news, voicing opinions on matters of public
concern, exchanging information, expressing emotions, taking part
in debates, educating others, fact-checking and providing balance
in discussions.
55. Online news participation behaviour varies from country to
country, depending as well on levels of trust in the news media
as opposed to in other non-traditional sources such as social media,
blogs and digital-born providers. Youth participatory and collaborative
culture is particularly influenced by the patterns of usage of such
non-traditional sources. Other variables also come into play, including
individual demographic characteristics, lifestyles, life cycles,
types of new formats, content, means of engagement, tone and storytelling.
56. Safe internet use is paramount to youth participation in and
engagement with news ecosystems. Young people create spaces of support,
sociability and recognition that are also spaces for collaborative
learning. This helps them to develop social, cultural, professional
and technical skills. The policy challenge therein is the crucial
question of who listens to young people’s voices when they are raised
in this way.
57. Credible information also depends on credible journalists.
In this respect, public service media play a crucial role in fostering
professional journalism. Public broadcasting media, after all, are
still perceived as more trustworthy than private media channels,
even by young people. There are also correlations between
levels of education, exposure to television news and newspapers
and trust in the media. It is imperative therefore that member States
commit to ensuring adequate levels of public service media funding,
while providing safeguards for editorial independence in order to
restore young people’s trust in professional journalists.
There are also correlations between
levels of education, exposure to television news and newspapers
and trust in the media. It is imperative therefore that member States
commit to ensuring adequate levels of public service media funding,
while providing safeguards for editorial independence in order to
restore young people’s trust in professional journalists.3.2. Media ethics, youth, news and democratic engagement
58. Teens and young adults are
exposed to a wide variety of political discourses, which may influence
their civic and political engagement and participation – both online
and offline. Having the opportunity to explore and exchange ideas
with others provides a critical mechanism for young people to form
and hone their own opinions.
59. The term participatory media was coined by researchers to
define the uses of digital media that are more interactive, social
and collaborative than broadcast or print media – the so-called
traditional media – which are considered elitist. Digital media
have had an impact on youth civic development. They have formed a landscape that
is conducive to participatory politics in which average citizens
do not just follow elite-driven information and wait for opportunities
for political action, but actively participate in defining issues
of public concern and creating pathways to civic action.
They have formed a landscape that
is conducive to participatory politics in which average citizens
do not just follow elite-driven information and wait for opportunities
for political action, but actively participate in defining issues
of public concern and creating pathways to civic action.60. Democratic engagement, however, is dependent not only on age,
but also on gender, social background and ethnicity. A study of
young British women from low socio-economic status backgrounds found
that they did not feel represented or listened to in institutional
politics or the public sphere; they used a different type of technology
to access information and to communicate with their social networks
and were disengaged from institutional politics. These findings suggest that
the current approaches of public-sector civic websites for young
people in general are ineffective in reaching these young women.
These findings suggest that
the current approaches of public-sector civic websites for young
people in general are ineffective in reaching these young women.61. In the political sphere too, exposure to conflict and incivility
in online discourse is an area of concern that young people face
when participating in online debates. The more young people participate
in interest-driven online communities, the more they are exposed
to conflict and the more likely they are to receive a hostile comment,
which is not the case with friendship-driven communities (where
young people are more likely to have a personal, real-life relationship
with group members).
62. The civility or uncivility of online discourse may thereby
affect young people’s civic-mindedness and degree of political engagement.
If we want to engage young people in policy discussions, we need
to manage disagreements and avoid aggressive language in the media,
so as not to undermine trust in politics and institutions.
63. Although young people are not all politically disengaged,
they do feel distanced and alienated and are critical towards institutional
politics. To use the categories drawn up by researchers, there are
four factors on which young people’s voluntary participation and
contribution depend: technology, public representation, education,
media genres and language. Lawmakers
themselves have a role to play in overcoming young people’s sense
of indifference to politics; it is our responsibility to adapt the
political communication process by using innovations in technology,
communication and education. In Ukraine, the Ministry of Digital Transformation
has launched an educational course for young people called “Media
Literacy in Time of Pandemic” involving various youth opinion makers
such as singers and bloggers. This is an example of an innovative
media literacy tool aimed at a young audience, which public service
media could be encouraged to follow.
Lawmakers
themselves have a role to play in overcoming young people’s sense
of indifference to politics; it is our responsibility to adapt the
political communication process by using innovations in technology,
communication and education. In Ukraine, the Ministry of Digital Transformation
has launched an educational course for young people called “Media
Literacy in Time of Pandemic” involving various youth opinion makers
such as singers and bloggers. This is an example of an innovative
media literacy tool aimed at a young audience, which public service
media could be encouraged to follow.64. Given young people’s alarming lack of interest in the news,
ensuring opportunities for democratic political engagement and exposure
to reliable political information on both traditional and new platforms
poses a major challenge, as noted in the motion for a resolution
underlying this report. News consumption via online news aggregators,
social media and blogs raises, inter
alia, questions as to who should monitor and tackle mis- and
disinformation in the information ecosystem and how. Journalists
should continue to act as professional gatekeepers in hybrid news
systems, provided that fact-checking initiatives are also funded
to combat misinformation and disinformation.
65. In response to the emergence of echo chambers and the risks associated
with the rise of online mis- and disinformation, fact-checking initiatives
have sprung up, including at European level, to counteract the impact of potentially
harmful information and to limit the spread and impact of disinformation.
and the risks associated
with the rise of online mis- and disinformation, fact-checking initiatives
have sprung up, including at European level, to counteract the impact of potentially
harmful information and to limit the spread and impact of disinformation.66. In addition, creating safe online communities is a priority.
This approach may be implemented alongside existing provisions of
the revised EU Audiovisual Media Services Directive. As with harmful
advertising or pornographic content, big tech platforms should act
swiftly (including with the help of algorithms) to remove comments
that could be detrimental to the political debate.
3.3. Youth, aspirational labour and new power asymmetries in the digital economy
67. Advances in the new digital
media ecosystem have drastically changed content creation and general media
consumption habits and patterns. The main trend is the growing rate
of audiovisual media consumption on video-sharing platforms, social
media networks and instant messaging systems. Time spent online
also comprises carrying out a variety of paid and unpaid economic
transactions, often associated with content consumption and production.
This includes creative expression on social media, interactive gaming, collaboration,
video or written blogging, photography, music and podcasting, etc.
68. Young people are contributing to a changing economic landscape,
providing labour for free in the hope of a future payoff. This is
known as aspirational labour, or hope labour, which encourages young
people to take risks and provide unpaid or underpaid labour, with
no guarantee of future earnings. Aspirational labour in the digital
media workforce is all the more challenging as influencers promote
a narrative that the online environment offers endless possibilities
and that patience is all that is required until content reaps its
financial rewards.
69. Young people are empowered by the digital ecosystem because
it provides them with the tools and spaces to be both active and
creative consumers and producers of culture. Corporate platforms,
however, commodify the young people’s data, attention, culture,
labour and creativity for profits that are not equitably shared.
New categories of consumption and production have emerged but their
role and interplay remain fuzzy, especially in terms of “prosumers”
and “playbour”. The ecosystem of commercial and
non-commercial platforms that offer young people opportunities to
learn, socialise and play also expose them to risks including invasion
of privacy, exploitation of free labour and surveillance.
The ecosystem of commercial and
non-commercial platforms that offer young people opportunities to
learn, socialise and play also expose them to risks including invasion
of privacy, exploitation of free labour and surveillance.70. The advent of new digital careers such as “data workers” and
the like should thus trigger debate about the role played by young
people in the networked ecosystem of the digital economy. The digital
transformation may lead to structural inequalities and reproduce
existing ones, for example the imbalance in power relations between
platforms and users. It may also create a digital divide in the
form of unequal access to technologies, unequal development of the
relevant skills needed to flourish online and the disparate benefits
of technology usage according to socio-economic status. Young people
produce personal, transactional, and user-generated data that are
then commodified by corporations — by trading, monetising, and/
or converting data into financial capital — without compensating
young people for their product in an equitable way.
71. Council of Europe member States could and should develop strategies
to encourage and enable young people to participate creatively,
healthily and safely in active social life, notably through and
with the help of the media, and address the risk of the young being
exploited through aspirational labour. Regulatory frameworks should
be developed to correct these so-called new power asymmetries, namely
the unbalanced power relationships between young people and corporate
platforms with for-profit business models, which are so popular
with the young.
72. Such strategies could include educational programmes and frameworks
to increase youth awareness and knowledge of the digital economy
in which they as users produce data that are then traded and mined
by corporate platforms with for-profit business models.
73. At present, the member States have no uniform approach to
commercial data practices, data privacy, surveillance and targeted
advertising. The same is true for terms and conditions that amount
to unfair competition. Yet a uniform approach to young people’s
economic understanding of the digital environment (taking into account
age, ethnic origin, gender, education and time spent online) is
precisely what is required. The overall aim is to better understand
aspirational labour and, if young people are genuinely being exploited, to
tackle this new form of exploitation.
74. The lack of clear metrics to assess and measure the different
forms of value creation makes young people’s creative and affective
labour on digital platforms invisible and must therefore be addressed.
An analytical approach could be implemented in parallel with entrepreneurial
and regulatory initiatives to support young people involved in the
digital economy who are consuming and producing content.
4. Conclusions
75. My report provides an overview
of the key media challenges facing youth in Europe while bearing
in mind that the digital environment offers a wealth of information
and a potential for knowledge-sharing that is as yet unrivalled
in human history. This opportunity is not without risks for the
young, nor without responsibility for the public authorities and
economic operators in the field.
76. Many stakeholders have a role to play, starting with the media
themselves: their independence, professionalism and adaptation to
technological changes are prerequisites for quality information
and young people’s civic engagement.
77. The balance between freedom and regulation is also fundamental:
the Assembly must call for operators to ensure the protection of
young people’s data and privacy, as the European Union recently
did in its Digital Services Package adopted in 2022. The regulation
also covers illegal content, and, in particular, unlawful pornographic
material, which is a major problem for young people.
78. Lastly, we must ensure that young people’s creative potential
in the digital environment is not hindered or economically exploited.
79. The recommendations in the draft resolution seek to respect
such a balance between autonomy and responsibility. It is the duty
of States, regulators, educators, civil society and private platforms
to ensure that the young people of today are the informed and responsible
adults of the future.