International Youth Day 2018: Need for safe spaces, offline and online

World
Europe

Editor's note: Peter Chi is a research fellow at the National Image Research Center of Tsinghua University and CEO of Beijing Lucky Earth International Culture Co. The article reflects the author's opinion and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

On August 12, 2000, the United Nations observed its first International Youth Day. Nearly two decades later, plenty has changed. The focus in 2018 will be placed on safe spaces for our youths.

The advancement of technology and the way people communicate have both been transformed. The appearance of smartphones and mobile Internet has influenced how people meet and communicate around the world.

Despite the fact that today’s youths tend to spend most of their free time online, and that offline face-to-face communication is losing its charm, security in public spaces is still an important matter.

I was fortunate to grow up in the world’s most renowned city of music, Vienna, and I remember there were no smartphones during my childhood, just cellphones with calling and SMS functions. In our spare time, we would constantly go outside to meet with friends and even play after the sunset. Security was not a concern at that time, but things are no longer the same.

Because of the migrant crisis since 2015, and the terror-related incidents, many in Europe feel less safe today, and as a result, we can see populism increasing on the continent. Safety in public spaces has become a very important issue.

Several attacks using vehicles as weapons have created shock and terror around the world. Parents today worry about their children’s safety more than ever. Law enforcement agencies, especially in Europe, advise young people to stay away from big crowds in public spaces for security reasons.

Security checks underway at a subway station in the south Chinese city of Guangzhou. /VCG Photo.

Three years ago, I moved to China to pursue my career, and I was surprised by the attention to security in this country. At first, it was difficult to adjust to security checks almost everywhere here, even in subway stations. In Vienna, there are no security checkpoints, not even an entry gate to the trains.

We all know that a coin has two sides. Amidst the security checks, China has created a safe environment for the people. China's youth are able to stay out late in public spaces, and not worry about the security issues that keep worried parents in Europe up late at night.

The determination of China, to maintain order and security, is genuinely amazing and so is the fact that almost everywhere in China young people enjoy a very safe environment.

Besides concerns about security offline in public areas, new menaces from online spaces have surfaced in our world today. Keeping youth safe from threats on social media platforms has become a difficult task in contemporary society, whether in China or in Europe.

Most teenagers worldwide, not to mention younger children, already have social media accounts, on Facebook, Twitter, Wechat... These online platforms are trying their best to increase security adjustments, but criminals are constantly trying to find loopholes to harm youngsters.

High school students use smartphones and tablets in class. / VCG Photo

Fake news and bad content on social media have triggered a firestorm of criticism around the world, especially during the US presidential elections in 2016. Facebook lost 120 billion US dollars in value in a single day last month, due to their privacy scandals and the site's slowest user growth rate in two years.

People are losing trust in social media platforms and in the media, hence increased content management and reestablishing trust with their users are of utmost importance.

Social media have the power to influence people, especially the young, so we have to increase awareness and put more attention on security measures online to protect our future generations from harm. It’s fair to say that China is at the forefront of these efforts.

In the end, creating safe spaces for youths, whether offline or online, has to be taken seriously and should not be neglected. Especially in our current time when keeping up with the newest technology has become a difficult task, we need to focus more on security than ever before.

Young people are our future; therefore, it is our responsibility to protect them not only this August 12, but each and every day.