Nordic project with ITU participation aims to strengthen future citizenship
In an era of algorithms, misinformation, and weakened trust in institutions, children and young people must be equipped to navigate democracy in the digital society. A new Nordic project focuses on solutions – and Associate Professor Gitte Stald from the IT University of Copenhagen plays a central role.
Gitte StaldCollaborationsResearchchildren and youthdemocracysocial media
Written 6 November, 2025 08:40 by Theis Duelund Jensen
Democracy is under pressure. Not only from global crises and political polarisation, but also from the digital technologies that shape how young people orient themselves and participate in society. Digital technologies offer many opportunities, but as the information environment becomes more fragmented and algorithm-driven, it becomes harder for children and young people to find trustworthy sources, understand complex contexts, and feel part of the democratic conversation.
We need to show young people that they have both responsibilities and rights in their everyday lives. Democracy must be relatable and understandable.
Gitte Stald
A new Nordic project, Nordic co-operation on a safer digital democracy for children and youth, seeks to tackle precisely these challenges. The project, which runs until 2026, is politically anchored under the Nordic Council and brings together researchers and experts from across the Nordic region. The goal is to map the digital lives of children and young people, analyse the political and legal frameworks – and formulate concrete recommendations for future democratic policies.
Denmark’s representative in the project’s working group is Gitte Stald, Associate Professor and member of the Digitalization, Democracy & Governance section at the IT University of Copenhagen. Since the early 2000s, she has researched youth, technology, and democracy, and was appointed by Mads Bramsen, head of the Centre for Social Media and Democracy under the Danish Agency for Culture and Palaces. The project builds on previous work on big tech, information environments, and democratic participation.
Need for increased engagement
“It’s about supporting a sustainable democracy for future generations,” says Gitte Stald, who also heads ITU’s Centre for Digital Welfare, where research is conducted at the intersection of technology and society. “Young people have many resources – they know they’re being manipulated, and they’ve learned source criticism. But it’s hard to put into practice when everyday life is full of social expectations and rapid impressions.”
She emphasises that democratic participation is not just about the ballot box or high politics. It’s also about engaging in local issues – like a football pitch in disrepair or lack of lighting on the cycle path. “We need to show young people that they have both responsibilities and rights in their everyday lives. Democracy must be relatable and understandable.”
The project has several layers: Researchers from Finland, Sweden, and Norway are mapping existing knowledge about the digital lives of children and young people. Next, the political and legal frameworks in the Nordic countries, as well as at EU and UN levels, will be analysed, and finally, hearings will be conducted among young people in the Nordic region to gather their views and recommendations. Alongside this, the group Gitte Stald is part of is working on critical reflection on the results and developing recommendations for further work at the political level and across sectors.
“There is definitely increased awareness. It’s an issue that several international and politically significant actors are getting involved in,” says Gitte Stald, referring to the fact that the UN, for example, has a charter emphasising that children also have rights in the digital space and must be heard when changes are made.
Trust in the system
One of the most encouraging points in the project is the relatively high level of democratic trust among young people in the Nordic countries. “In Denmark, studies show that young people generally trust democracy. This contrasts with, for example, England, where up to half of young people don’t believe in democracy,” says Gitte Stald. Here, the Nordic context may provide a foundation for shared solutions.
There are political movements that want to protect young people through bans – but this can lead to content being moved to unregulated platforms and contexts. Instead, the focus should be on digital literacy, journalistic quality, and editorial presence online. “We need to invest in trustworthy information and strengthen the digital environments where young people spend time. That requires political will – not just towards tech giants, but also towards content providers.”
The project is still in its early stages, with the first meeting held in September and a workshop in Stockholm in November. The working group meets four times a year, and a final report with recommendations is expected in the second half of 2026. “Ultimately, it’s about the survival of democracy on an informed basis,” concludes Gitte Stald. “We need to find ways to harness digital opportunities while protecting the most vulnerable. It’s a shared task – politically, educationally, and socially.”
Theis Duelund Jensen, Press Officer, phone +45 2555 0447, email thej@itu.dk