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Our Experts Network brings together researchers and experts from across Europe, all driven by a shared mission to create safer and better digital spaces. Covering areas such as mental health, digital resilience, and online safety, we aim to provide insights and data to inform future public conversation and policy around digital safety and wellbeing. 

Alessandro Niccolò Tirapani

Dr. Alessandro Niccolò Tirapani is an Assistant Professor of Organization Studies at Tilburg University. Currently, he is focusing on the impact of platforms using Artificial Intelligence on society, looking at the adaptation and implementation of technological regulations, and at the translation of academic knowledge into policy making and progressive business practices. He has published on the gig economy, on corporate social responsibility, and on science denial.

Dr Ruth Plackett

Dr. Ruth Plackett has a background in psychology and completed her PhD in applied health research at University College London (UCL) in 2019. Her research interests are in social media and young people’s mental health, mixed methods research and evaluations of digital interventions. Ruth is currently a senior research fellow at UCL and is funded by a NIHR Three Schools’ Mental Health Programme fellowship at UCL. She has published research on the impacts of social media on young people’s mental health. Her current research is exploring how we can use social media to improve young people’s access to mental health services and how concerns about the effects of social media on young people’s mental health are managed in primary care.

Dr. Radha Modgil

Dr. Radha Modgil is an NHS GP, a television, radio, and podcast broadcaster, and author who aims to bring positive change in the world and empower people. Listed in The Big Issue’s 100 Change Makers 2022 List, She writes a weekly column for the i newspaper and the author of her debut book 'Know Your Own Power' supporting people to navigate the challenges they face in life and one of the most inspiring people who are leading the way when it comes to mental health awareness, Positive News. Radha is the medical expert for both BBC Radio 1's daytime show, Life Hacks, and BBC 5 Live's Mental Health Clinic, and was the presenter of the CBeebies show, Feeling Better, which highlighted the importance of talking to young children about their feelings. She has also written for several magazines.

Dr. Stephan Dreyer

Stephan Dreyer is a Senior Researcher at the Leibniz Institute for Media Research focusing on the legal dynamics underpinning digital childhood. His expertise resides at the nexus of youth media protection, regulatory and technical strategies for children’s safety, privacy and security, and empowering and participatory approaches.

Dr. Yansie Rolston

Dr. Yansie Rolston has a depth of experience and expertise in health equality development. She is an anthropologist, a creative, and a social activist. Yansie offers technical expertise to governments, business, civil society and international agencies and co-creates and delivers innovative social change processes that are focussed on health equity and social development for marginalised groups. Yansie creates, affects and sustains change in order to improve physical, mental and social wellbeing. Her areas of expertise are mental health, disability, sexual health, menopause and race equity. She presents her work internationally at conferences and empowerment workshops and works inter-generationally to co-create interventions that are holistic, impactful and sustainable.

Angélique Gozlan

Angélique Gozlan is PhD in psychopathology, teacher and researcher. She has been working in child psychiatry and private practice for over 15 years. In 2013, she defended the first thesis in France on the psychological impact of social networks. She is the author of numerous articles and books, including "Petit guide décomplexant" pour parents d'ados à l'ère du numérique", 2023.

Esther Rozendaal

Esther Rozendaal is full professor of Digital Resilience at the Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences at the Erasmus University Rotterdam and co-lead of the Erasmus Movez Lab, a research team with a shared interest in young people, digital media, and wellbeing. She is an expert on empowering children and young people as resilient participants in today's digital society. Esther and her team work closely with children and young people, young creators, parents, schools, youth workers and various organisations with a shared interest in the digital resilience of young media users and creators. In this way, they aim to contribute to solutions that enable children and young people to cope with the opportunities and risks of digital media, now and in the future.

Vanessa Lalo

Dr. Vanessa Lalo is a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist, who specializes in video games, digital practices and their impact at cognitive, educational, and cultural levels. Vanessa has participated in multiple conferences, debates, and meetings focused on digital practices of young people and adults, their challenges and limits, and parenthood in the 21st century, among others. Vanessa contributes with her expertise to innovative pedagogical and therapeutic projects, mainly in the fields of health and education.

Resources

In collaboration with the experts of our network, we created this booklet to explore key questions on digital safety and wellbeing. It offers diverse perspectives, experts’ insights and actionable recommendations for parents, guardians, educators and policy makers. 

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ThinkYoung is a not-for-profit organisation, aiming to make the world a better place for young people by involving them in decision-making processes and providing decision-makers with high-quality research on youth conditions. ThinkYoung conducts studies and surveys, makes advocacy campaigns, writes policy proposals, and develops education programmes: up to date, ThinkYoung projects have reached over 800,000 young people.

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Meta is a tech company with apps that you may know, like Instagram or WhatsApp. We work hard to build online spaces where young people can learn, connect, create, and have fun. We want young people to enjoy our platforms and to be safe, so creating spaces for young people to have their say on the future of platforms like ours is crucial.

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