I never imagined that as a high school student, I would have the opportunity to help shape the future of the Internet. Last month, I found myself at the Internet Governance Forum 2025 in Lillestrøm, Norway as one of the youngest participants in a room filled with policymakers, academia, and tech leaders.I’ve always assumed voices like mine wouldn’t matter until I was older. However, over the course of the week, I engaged in workshops on AI ethics, asked questions about digital inclusion, and connected with people from all across the world. But what struck me most was how few young people— especially high school students— were in the room.
Why Youth Voices Matter
As generations pass, the Internet has become more than just a tool. It is the backbone of education, social lives, as well as our futures. Yet, most decisions made about its governance are made without us. At IGF, I realised a few key reasons why that has to change.
We are the most affected:
Policies on data privacy, misinformation, and AI all contribute to shaping our careers, relationships, and freedoms. For example, in a session on combatting deepfakes, the panelists highlighted how synthetic media had the capability to distort students’ lives and relationships. If these policies will have the most affect on generations to come and the way we interact with each other, shouldn’t we have a say in regulating it?
Fresh Perspectives = More Solutions:
There is a problem of the age of children being exposed to a device— as well as creating social media accounts— becoming younger. This is due to parents having increasingly less time to spend with their children, and even when they do, some choose to actively use tech as a means to distract them, leading to developmental delays or hindering social and emotional development. During the Q&A part of the Youth Summit on age verification and social media regulation, I asked the panelists for ways parents can get involved. By implementing more youth voices, we will be able to discover mutualistic and modern ways to avoid problems listed above.
The problem of “Youth Tokenism”
Often, events include one or two young panelists to “check a box.” However, as I realised from participating at the IGF, the term “youth” is subjective and most likely does not include teens. Even so, young panelists may be subjected to less speaking time or their opinions may be taken less seriously when compared to their elder colleagues. Additionally, real inclusion means meaningful participation— not just representation.
How To Get Involved
Before I attended the conference, I didn’t know how wide the scope of “Internet governance” was, nor did I know the steps to make the experience as meaningful as it ended up being. Here are some ways you can get involved and begin your journey:
1. Start Where You Are!
Follow IGF’s youth programmes such as virtual Youth IGF Summits, and learn the basics through free resources like IGF’s YouTube channel or The Association for Progressive Communications’ (APC) digital rights guide. You do not need to be an expert. Focus on one or two topics you care about to avoid being overwhelmed, for me it was social media and youth’s rights and regulations.
2. Speak Up— Even If Your Voice Shakes
At IGF, I was nervous to ask questions in sessions. But when I did, people listened. After a session, other participants approached me and we carried on talking about the topic. It is a great way to meet new people who share similar— and different— views, and to bring the conversation out of workshop rooms and into regular discussion.
Can I Really Make a Difference as a Student?
Walking into IGF, I felt like an underqualified imposter. But this is what I learned: You don’t need a PhD to contribute; lived experience matters. When I shared my views on Hong Kong’s social media scene, participants around listened and shared their views as well. The “adults” want to hear from you. Youth participation is insufficient, but highly encouraged by everyone. People I had met were glad that younger students were interested in Internet governance and that a wider array of Gen Z perspectives were being shared. Boomers, Generation X and Y can’t solve problems during our current generation if they don’t have the help to fully understand.The IGF needs more youth participants. We wouldn’t hold a climate conference without environmentalists, or an education conference without educators or students. So why should Internet governance exclude its primary users?
by Claire Chow