This week, we delivered two workshops at Bolton St Catherine’s Academy in conjunction with Bolton Libraries, working with students from Years 7–10 to explore digital systems, social media, algorithms, and digital wellbeing. 

What stood out most was not just the students’ enthusiasm, but their willingness to question, challenge, and reflect on the digital world they engage with every day. Their insights offered a valuable reminder that young people are not passive consumers of technology; they are active participants who are already forming opinions about how digital systems should work. 

Our Year 7–8 workshop focused on “Hidden Systems” – the often-unseen structures that shape their daily lives. 

Students quickly connected the concept to familiar experiences. They spoke about their own experiences while gaming, such as reporting another user but nothing being done, and being banned from a game but another player being allowed back in, highlighting that these systems don’t always seem fair and it isn’t necessarily clear how they work.  

A few students initially felt that technology was less biased than people. However, by the end of the session, they were questioning who had designed these platforms and recognising that the people who create them, and the data they are built on, have a significant influence on how they work. 

Our Year 9–10 workshop explored social media, algorithms, and what young people thought about the recently announced social media ban.  Students shared honest and varied perspectives on their use of TikTok and other social media platforms. While every participant said they enjoyed social media and would not want to stop using it, many openly described themselves as being “addicted” to it. Interestingly, this was not generally viewed as a concern. 

As part of this session, we challenged groups to design an ideal social media platform. One group initially argued that TikTok was already perfect, so why would they need to? However, after discussion and reflection, they redesigned it into “TikTok+” – a version without adverts and shopping features. Their reasoning was simple: removing commercial elements would create a more enjoyable experience and reduce the feeling of being constantly “forced” to buy things. 

Another group focused on safety and wellbeing. They proposed improved education around social media use, stronger warnings when interacting with unknown users, and additional wellbeing features designed to help users make healthier choices online. 

These ideas demonstrated that while young people may enjoy the platforms they use, they are also capable of identifying areas that could be improved. 

Is Digital Wellbeing Missing the Mark? 

Students across both workshops were confident in their ability to stay safe online. They spoke about blocking users, avoiding scams and double-checking news stories seen on TikTok to verify if they were true, demonstrating strong awareness of traditional online safety messages. 

However, discussions around algorithms and digital wellbeing revealed a different picture. Students viewed personalised content positively, particularly TikTok’s For You Page, seeing it as a convenient way to discover content they enjoy rather than something that might shape or limit their online experiences. 

This raises an interesting question about the Health, Wellbeing and Lifestyle strand of the Education for a Connected World framework. While young people are learning how to stay safe from external threats, they may be less aware of how algorithms, persuasive design and personalised content can influence their habits, choices and wellbeing. Students shared their screen time stats, with some spending five hours a day on TikTok alone, stating they ignore screen time messages and suggestions to get up and move.  

If young people see personalised feeds as purely beneficial, and don’t see an issue in being addicted to their phones, are we doing enough to help them recognise how algorithms can shape not only what they see, but also how they think, feel and engage online? 

These workshops reminded us that young people are not only consumers of technology; they are already forming opinions about how digital systems should work and the role they play in society. Their enthusiasm to debate fairness, algorithms and online experiences demonstrates the value of giving them space to explore these issues. 

If we want the next generation to thrive in a digital world, we must move beyond teaching online safety alone and help young people understand the systems shaping their experiences.