Review: Panel discussion “Resonance spaces instead of echo chambers”

Rebekka Dober (YEP – Youth Empowerment Participation) began by providing insights into the results of a recent youth study, which clearly shows the significant influence social media has on young people's well-being and self-perception.

Following this, Barbara Buchegger (Safer Internet), Tobias Ebbrecht-Hartmann (Hebrew University of Jerusalem), René Werner (Science Ambassador, JKU Linz), and Stephanie Meisl (Concept & Media Artist) presented background information while also highlighting positive examples of how social media can be used to encourage youth participation.

The discussion, moderated by Xaver Forthuber, opened with brief introductions of the experts and their work:

• Barbara Buchegger explained the services and responsibilities of saferinternet.at for parents and educators.
• Tobias Ebbrecht-Hartmann spoke about the TikTok presence of the Mauthausen Memorial, which he supports from an academic perspective.
• Stephanie Meisl provided insights into her artistic projects involving AI film, digital twins, AI avatars, digital literacy, and algorithms.
• René Werner shared his experiences as a Science Ambassador, including his workshop "Knowledge vs. Opinion. Truth vs. Fake."

In the subsequent panel discussion, the experts agreed that the digital world — in light of disinformation, generative AI, and algorithmic filtering — is becoming increasingly challenging not just for young people. Therefore, it is essential that young people, like adults, are included in shaping content and developing guidelines for responsible use. Only then can an authentic and safe exchange on topics such as democracy and science take place, despite the described challenges.

A recording of the event is available for viewing on YouTube.