Despite the fact that children and teachers meet almost daily, teachers are most of the time completely unaware of how their pupils use new media such as the internet and mobile phones in their social lives. For teachers the internet is more a tool for information gathering than of communication. For youngsters, it is quite the opposite.

At every regional seminar the Swedish node makes sure that the local partner has recruited a youth panel from schools in the region. They usually consist of six to eight girls and boys, aged 13-18. Their knowledge and experiences are shared with the audience with the help of a professional moderator.

Youths are asked to describe their everyday life on the internet: chatting, visiting communities, doing homework and playing online games. They are also asked about problems like bullying, grooming etc. that they or their friends encounter and how they handle these issues. Topics like ICT education in school and the engagement of parents are also brought up.

As a rule, all teenagers in these panels are very eager to talk and proud to be the experts of the day. Being taken seriously and heard by adults is highly appreciated. The seminar item that usually gets the highest score in the evaluation is namely the youth panel. This proves that adults also find these testimonials truly valuable and that they are very interested in bridging the knowledge gap between generations.

Daniel Boije, Swedish Media Council