VIENNA - The PROMISE project is pleased to announce the establishment of its Youth Advisory Board (YAB) - a central pillar of the PROMISE commitment to conducting research with and for young people. As social media continues to shape how young people connect, learn, and see themselves, the YAB ensures that those most affected by digital policies are active partners in shaping the project’s direction, methods, and impact.
What Is the Youth Advisory Board?
The YAB is a cross-national group of young people who will work alongside PROMISE researchers to ensure that the project remains grounded in the lived realities, priorities, and needs of youth across Europe. Through the YAB, PROMISE seeks to:
- Actively involve young people as partners in the research process.
- Adapt project plans based on youth feedback, ensuring that interventions and recommendations reflect real experiences.
- Deepen understanding of how social media affects well-being from the perspective of those who use it daily.
- Incorporate diverse voices representing different sociocultural backgrounds across all project countries.
- Empower young people, enrich theoretical frameworks, and strengthen the practical relevance of the project’s outcomes.
By creating a youth-centered space for dialogue, reflection, and co-creation, the YAB will help PROMISE address pressing concerns around digital well-being, and support healthier online behaviors. This cross-cultural exchange will also illuminate similarities and differences in digital practices across Europe, broadening the project’s ability to offer nuanced, culturally relevant policy recommendations.
Why the YAB Matters
Young people are experts in their own digital lives. Their insights will play a crucial role in shaping PROMISE’s research tools, interpreting findings, and ensuring that the project produces policies and recommendations that truly resonate.
This innovative approach strengthens methodological rigor, enhances impact, and contributes to a more inclusive understanding of the relationship between social media and well-being.
Call for Applications: Become a Member of the PROMISE Youth Advisory Board
We are now seeking young people aged 10–25 from Austria, Estonia, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom to join the PROMISE Youth Advisory Board.
Who Should Apply?
We welcome applicants who are:
- Interested in digital rights, well-being, and policy engagement
- Curious about how research influences real-world decisions
- Eager to share their online experiences - positive and challenging - in a supportive, learning-oriented setting
- Motivated to help improve digital environments for their peers and future generations
- From all backgrounds and identities; diversity is central to the board’s mission
What Will YAB Members Do?
- Meet three times per year in their home country
- Commit to one year of participation (with the option to remain for the full three-year project)
- Learn about existing social media policies and how they shape digital and offline life
- Gain exposure to research methods, policy impact strategies, and interdisciplinary collaboration
- Co-create meaningful contributions to PROMISE’s focus groups, workshops, and policy recommendations
The first YAB meeting will take place in spring 2026.