Vivien tells the United Nation why we need to protect young people online.
Vivien, aged 17 from Gravesend, addressed a United Nations meeting via zoom on Friday 6 October, at the invitation of 5Rights Foundation who fight for he rights of children and young people online. Below you can read Vivien’s intervention, or watch the video below.
Hello everyone!
My name is Vivien. I’m very excited to talk to you today about the online world for me and my peers.
I have had the privilege of working with 5Rights on a lot of amazing projects with other inspiring young people from GYG and all over the world.
We have discussed our passionate views with the Duke of Sussex, (Prince Harry), been involved with CEO’s at big companies who listened to our voices, hosted digital safety events and lots of attended Zoom calls.
These eye opening experiences have only grown my passion stronger + stronger for Children's rights online.
But really we are sitting here today because our fight is not over yet.
My personal experiences online is a representation of a fraction of what young people have to face who have less support, less resources and different circumstances in their lives.
As young people, the online world is not just a source of entertainment that is light hearted.
NO! For most of us it controls us and has greater influence on our lives than most other things.
Our identity, our thoughts and actions are controlled by our screens
“My phone is my life” Is what my little sister said at the age of nine.
Something that I have realised through myself and my friends is how much our self-worth is tied to the amount of veiws and likes the we get on social media.
Comparing ourselves to photoshopped models with millions on likes is of the main detrimental factors that affect young people’s mental health and it can impact development of things like body dysmorphia and eating disorders which can lead to serious issues.
I think it is important to remind young people that there is still a world with no filters, likes or shares that is just as beautiful.
A point I keep retuning to in these meetings are my feelings about the "endless scroll".
Children in 2023 are faced with more pressure and higher piles of school work than ever before. And yet, we find ourselves spending most of our time watching and scrolling and liking the endless content that’s thrown at us who's priorities lie with making a quick buck whilst consciously, distracting and overstimulating young people from their actual lives.
I hope that after this meeting you realise the power and responsibility you have to make a change in REAL people’s lives - turning the theories we talk about today into real actions, to respect children’s rights online.
Thank you for your time.