Empowering teens to be global citizens
Teens, generation Z, has lost trust in political institutions. In today’s modern world, global problems threaten our existence. In our modern times, teens acquire maturity earlier than in previous generations. Teens thus want a seat at the table. In the last few years, we have seen the highest abstention in elections rates coming from youth. We want to change this. Teen apathy is not an option. Teen engagement is. At the Athens Democracy Forum, we give teens a platform to share their voices, connect with delegates, and bridge the intergenerational gap.
WORKSHOP: TEENAGERS & SOCIAL MEDIA
On the occasion of the new regulatory framework for minors’ access to social networks proposed by the Greek government, the Democracy & Culture Foundation organized, on March 14, 2026, a workshop aimed at hearing the voices of experts from different fields (medical, law enforcement, academic, research and artistic), as well as the teenagers themselves, by organizing a deliberation.
The purpose of the deliberation was threefold: recording the lived experiences of teenagers regarding social media use, mapping their main concerns as well as positive perceptions about social networks, and formulating specific, realistic proposals for five groups of stakeholders: schools, parents, the state, social network platforms and the teenagers themselves.
The Democracy & Culture Foundation recommends the inclusion of teenagers’ proposals in the national dialogue on digital policy for children and young people.
Read the full versions:
The proposal
The Teens for Democracy (T4D) initiative gives young people a real voice in shaping the future. It creates space for teens to engage in deliberative democracy, share ideas, and grow into active citizens within their communities.
Vision
- Provide a mechanism that will allow teens to exchange ideas and inspire the start of a movement that is driven by the teens themselves;
- Frame and test a strategy to engage with schools on offering workshops for teens;
- Encourage governments to engage with young people in more modern and impactful ways.
Strategy
- Build an international teen volunteer network to promote the initiative.
- Partner with teen-focused brands that share democratic values.
- Launch pilot workshops and peer mentoring in school communities.
- Introduce a replicable model for teen participation at the Athens Democracy Forum.
- Facilitate teen-led conversations with government representatives.
Impact
Empowering teens with the tools, confidence and platform to influence a more democratic shared future.
Teens Recommendations
Below you can see the recommendations that the teens came up with during the Athens Democracy Forum:
How Can Young People Resist Extremism and Defend Democratic Values?
Exploring the Impact of Social Media and AI on Democracy and Human Rights
Educating and Empowering Teenagers About Climate Crisis
If you have any questions or would like to find out more about the project, please email us at teensdemocracy@democracyculturefoundation.org.
