PROJECT: Youth & Media Project at the Berkman Center for Internet & Society

The Youth and Media project at the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University encompasses an array of research, advocacy, and development initiatives around youth and technology. By understanding young people’s interactions with digital media such as the Internet, cell phones and video games, theye seek to address the issues their practices raise, learn how to harness the opportunities their digital fluency presents, and help shape regulatory and educational frameworks in a way that advances the public interest.

The Youth and Media project is split into a number of research tracks and initiatives. Past and current projects include: the Youth and Media Lab, an R&D collaboration with young people devoted to digital literacy and empowerment; the Youth in Developing Countries, a collaboration with UNICEF that addresses children’s digital safety in developing nations; the Youth and Media Policy Working Group Initiative, which produces policy reviews and recommendations;  and Digital Natives, a public outreach initiative based on the acclaimed book Born Digital.

The Youth and Media project is an interdisciplinary academic collaboration between the Research Center for Information Law at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland, the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, and a network of individual researchers around the world. The researchers come from various disciplinary backgrounds and the team includes lawyers, psychologists, ethnographers, sociologists, educators, and media theorists. Together, they aim to cultivate the creative, educational, and revolutionary possibilities of youth activity in digital space, while at the same time addressing the genuine concerns that come with living life online.

And here’s a video about the vision of their lab from their Youtube channel