Researchers and youth meet on stage – for a safer life online

Published: 9 February 2026

Reading time: 2 minutes

On Safer Internet Day, 10 February, in the presence of H.R.H. Princess Sofia, young people, decision-makers, researchers, platform representatives, civil society and public authorities gather for a full-day event in Stockholm to strengthen young people’s safety, health and influence online. Forte is a partner of the event.

Fem ungdomar i gymnasieålder utomhus tittar mot fotografen

On 10 February, at Safer Internet Day, young people and representatives from a wide range of organisations gather at the Ctrl + Rights conference in Stockholm. In the first programme session, “What does the research say?”, Lisa Thorell, Professor of Developmental Psychology at Karolinska Institutet, and her research colleague Sissela Nutley present how the design of digital services affects our behaviours, emotions and actions.
Forte is a partner of the conference, and the ongoing study on children’s and young people’s digital health, led by Sissela and Lisa, is funded by Forte.

– It is the young people’s own stories that guide the conversations at the conference – and that is also what we research. During today’s programme, we explain what happens when algorithms control our feeds. Experiences and actions online affect our reward systems through dopamine, and create attention loops in the endless scrolling. How we feel, how our self-image is shaped, and what hate and threats do to us and our democracy, says Lisa.

– On stage, we also hold a dialogue with a youth panel where we discuss how difficult it is to be aware of these mechanisms, yet still get pulled into the ‘system’. The young people themselves reflect on how their self-esteem and norms are affected. Lisa and I contribute by showing how research can clarify the problems and help us understand how young people – and everyone else – can improve their well-being in digital life, says Sissela.

It is the young people’s own stories that guide the conversations at the conference – and that is also what we research.

Lisa Thorell

Professor of Developmental Psychology at Karolinska Institutet

The researchers are part of a swedish government expert group

During autumn 2025, Minister for Social Affairs Jakob Forssmed proposed that Lisa Thorell and Sissela Nutley be included in an EU expert panel tasked with advising on how to strengthen the safety of children and young people on social media within the EU. They also form part of the expert group for the national inquiry on age limits for social media.

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Sweden has access to strong statistics on young people’s media use through major surveys conducted by the Swedish Media Council. If the EU works together, it becomes easier for us to influence, for example, tech companies, so that we can hopefully achieve stronger regulation of what content can be published on social media, says Sissela.

If the EU works together, it becomes easier for us to influence tech companies, so that we can achieve stronger regulation of what content can be published on social media.

Sissela Nutley

Researcher at the Karolinska Institute and lecturer

– But we need more research on how young people are affected by media – which becomes more complex as the landscape constantly changes. With European cooperation, EU countries can exchange experiences and learn from one another, says Lisa.

Research programme for mental health

Since 2021, Forte has led a national research programme on mental health, commissioned by the Swedish government, to improve the knowledge base in the field.

– We want to increase understanding of how mental ill-health develops in different groups. It feels fantastic that so many stakeholders are coming together at this conference to build a shared picture. It is important that we adults listen to what young people highlight, as they are well aware of how social media influences them, says Lidija Kolouh, who is responsible for the programme.

Lotta Segelberg