Young people expert in own digital lives
A new pilot research project with Netsafe Aotearoa shows that peer networks have outsized influence on the way young people behave online, and generic media literacy messages miss the mark when trying to encourage online safety.
The Digital Resilience research report, produced by AUT School of Communication Studies TOROA Centre for Communication Research, worked directly with high school students to understand the pressures and influences of their digital lives.
What the research shows:
- Online harm for youth is most often experienced through peer networks, group chats, and shared spaces, not just anonymous strangers or algorithms
- Scams and misinformation are now normalised as part of everyday online life for young people
- Safety messages for young people miss the mark when they feel generic, moralising, or place all responsibility on individuals
- Digital resilience is strongest when young people are treated as knowledgeable participants, not passive audiences
As part of the research, AUT Advertising and Brand Creativity academics worked together with teenagers on the creative execution of digital literacy campaigns, resulting in some highly critical but honest feedback. Lecturer Dan Fastnedge said the feedback was some of the most critical he’d ever received, but was essential in co-creating solutions to address online challenges in a way that actually resonate with their reality.
Associate Professor Helen Sissons says recognising the agency, knowledge and expertise of young people is critical when addressing social media or online harms. “What young people told us is clear: online harm is relational, everyday, and shaped by peer networks — and safety efforts work best when young people are treated as knowledgeable participants, not passive audiences.”
The full report, launched for Safer Internet Day 2026, is available on Netsafe’s website.
Useful links
- Learn about the TOROA AUT Centre for Communication Research
- Study Communication Studies at AUT
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