The Youth Forum covered the following issues:

The Future of Technology and Development opportunities

Young people at the LondonCyber Youth Forum were asked to think about the next generation of the internet and associated technology. Their future gazing covered:

• The use of cloud technology to make access to information more democratic and more affordable for developing countries
• The continued development of the social network into a hub that collects the best of the web, safely and supported.
• Increased coming together of different devices and the use of smart tech to merge virtual and real life closer together
• TV becoming more interactive and using internet technology to make TV watching more social

Economic growth and development

Young people recognise that the digital world is central to economic growth and can be a driver of economies in developing countries but that it is overlaid with social factors which need to be learnt from an early age in school. They believe the internet should be an intrinsic part of citizenship skills so that you learn that everything from safety to privacy at an early age. 

- Some of us who have visited developing countries have Seen the power of the internet in changing the lives of communities but we all have a responsibilities to help them afford the new technologies. We think of the internet as a global phenomenon but large parts of the world still don’t have access to the digital revolution

- It seems that the newspaper industry is dying but this creates issues of reliability of information as it is much harder to know what we are reading is true and we are concerned about the power of governments to close down internet access. There is a human right to assembly in the real world and this should exist online as well.

- Young people are drivers of the economy and yet there is no consistency in what you can have access to at different ages. Being able to access to material is not just about age its about emotional maturity and conversations about age verification should take this into account.

- All companies operating in the digital world need to remember that yp are their most important present and future audience and continue to engage with us at the earliest possible stage

Hopes and Fears

The Youth Forum hopes were that:

• Their voice is not just a space but is acted upon
• Adults recognise young people are driving the digital world
• There is a balance between the excitement and opportunity of cyberspace, with keeping young people safe
• We come together and show although we are from different places we have a  common vision to get YP better understood by the adult world

Their fears were that:

• Young people’s views could get lost in international political ideology
• Fast moving world prevents opportunity
• Young people could become more vulnerable
• Their participation could be seen as tokenistic

Child Safety

• Age verification: social networking sites should risk-assess emotional competence to overcome age verification, e.g. a set of questions to assess and answer before given an account
• Safe access: greater education directed at young people but with parents involved
• Parental controls:  need to be young people led but assessed by their competence and in partnership with parents to develop a trusted relationship 
• You can put up danger signs at the swimming pool but it is no substitute for teaching a child how to swim

In conclusion

The Conference recognized that young people have a critical stake in cyberspace and will be instrumental in its development over the coming years.

Their involvement going forward should never be tokenistic and the voice of young people should be an integral part of the international dialogue going forward to Budapest and Seoul.