Durham University’s “Digital Influences: Wellbeing and the Digital Lives of Young People” and Resources for Working with Young People

This September, Durham University engaged a variety of researchers and practitioners for a two-day conference dedicated to digital wellbeing. This event included the release of practical guidance to help stakeholders better understand and support young people navigating a challenging digital landscape. These efforts, led by young people, expert researchers, and other online safety stakeholders, reflect the growing international interest in creating safer online spaces for young people.

Building off the momentum of the two-day event, Professor Cristina Costa of Durham University announced the launch of “Digital Influence(r)s, Recognition, and Wellbeing in the Digital World.” This booklet is a Continuing Professional Development resource containing lesson plans and discussion guides for three workshops exploring the relationship between digital influencers and wellbeing. The project is supported by NortHFutures, Durham University, and Gladstone Terrace for Young People, all located in northeast England.

Costa’s publication is informed by her research exploring the digital lives of boys and young men, which she explored in collaboration with Rhoda Morrow of Gladstone Terrace Centre for Young People. The findings of the “Digital Masculinities and Digital Wellbeing” project present a nuanced approach to digital masculinity, recognizing the risks of “manosphere” creators while reflecting on the social conditions that may drive young men to harmful online spaces. 

German philosopher Axel Honneth’s recognition theory is core to Costa’s work. Honneth’s theory argues that people develop identity and wellbeing through relationships in which they are recognized and valued by others. Recognition takes different forms across life, including emotional support, respect for rights, and appreciation of contributions. When people experience a lack of recognition, they may seek it elsewhere or struggle against the conditions in which they feel overlooked or misrecognized. 

Costa’s findings suggest that masculinity influencers such as Andrew Tate perform recognition for their audience through storytelling, direct address (such as “you can do this too”), advice regarding dating, wealth, and fitness, and community language, such as “tribe” and “brotherhood.” The research claims that digital connection of boys and young men is not uniformly harmful. “Instead,” Costa suggests, “[boys and young men] demonstrated nuanced understandings of the risks and benefits of digital engagement, and evidenced a need for open, non-judgemental spaces to discuss controversial topics, relationships, masculinity, and broader social issues, particularly when they express perspectives that may be less inclusive.” Notably, Costa and Morrow do not believe their research supports an age-based social media ban as this content can be found beyond traditional social media platforms. 

The publication was previewed at the “Digital Influencers: Wellbeing and the Digital Lives of Young People” conference. Presenters and attendees included a wide variety of practitioners and researchers from across the EU and the UK. Programming focused on how young people navigate the online world, with particular attention to influencer culture and how offline conditions shape online engagement.

Expert talks continued throughout the event, featuring Dr. Ben Greenfield, Dr. Michaela Oliver, Cristiane Miranda, Dr. Marla Heering, Eleonora Diageria, and Dr. Stephanie Law. Topics covered included health and wellbeing influencers, developments in psychological research, and social media regulation across the EU. Generally, experts advocated for a nuanced and evidence-based approach to providing children with safe online experiences. 

A youth panel of two young women from northeast England shared similar sentiments. These young women felt social media overuse was a major concern among young people and questioned how personalized feeds may be influencing children’s online experiences. However, they also shared positive online experiences and worry about the lack of offline space for young adolescents as social media bans loom in many countries.

Rhiannon Banks and Lucy Barton of the Young Women’s Film Academy (YWFA) presented another unique way to center youth voices in conversations of online safety. YWFA is a non-profit organization supporting girls and young women in northeast England as they develop their skills in filmmaking. Banks and Barton were joined by a young filmmaker who spoke about her experience developing projects within the organization, such as YWFA’s work on fast fashion, social inclusion, and voter education. Their upcoming manosphere project, which received a grant from the Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, aims to address the lack of female perspective in popular portrayals of the manosphere including “Adolescence” and “Into the Manosphere.” YWFA describes the project as “[exposing] the influence of the ‘manosphere’ and the ways in which harmful ideologies can hide behind the façade of the ‘nice guy.’ Through sharing this story, [we aim] to lay bare the realities of misogyny and reframing it for what it is; normalised hate and violence towards women.” Within the larger context of online masculinity influencers, this project offers a powerful opportunity to young women to have their voices heard.

This event serves as a powerful reminder of how communities of researchers, professionals, and young people can work together to provide a better understanding of how to balance protection and participation in online environments. As evidenced by Costa’s booklet, these discussions can help create meaningful opportunities for education and policy development. FOSI welcomes this research in conversation with our Online Safety Survey, which highlights similar issues affecting children and families in their online experiences. By rooting policy and practice in evidence, we strive to ensure children’s online experiences are engaging, inclusive, and developmentally appropriate, with particular emphasis on rights and protection.