Blog by Alice Paola Pomè, SI Next Generation Representative 2026-2027
The Youth Global Representatives opened the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum 2026 with a dynamic debate exploring one of the most pressing questions of the digital age. Can digital technologies truly improve young people’s well-being, or are they creating new risks that we are only beginning to understand?
On 6 July, the opening day of the WSIS Forum, representatives from the United Nations, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), UNITAR, researchers, and young people from around the world came together to examine both the opportunities and the challenges of digital technologies. The discussion took the form of a structured debate between two teams: Team A, which highlighted the benefits of digital connectivity for youth well-being, and Team B, which adopted a risk-aware perspective, focusing on the safeguards, governance, and protections needed to ensure that digital technologies contribute positively to young people’s lives.
Title of the panel: Youth Digital Well-Being and Mental Health Implications
Panellists: Dr. Felice Paullier, Ms. Helen Griffiths, Mr. Iuri Caravalho, Ms. Dunola Mgbachi
The principles of Industry 5.0 represent a shift back toward a truly human-centred vision of technological progress. Rather than viewing people as passive recipients of innovation, Industry 5.0 places them at the very heart of digital transformation, positioning technology as a means to improve human well-being rather than an end in itself. The reflections shared by the youth representatives throughout the debate strongly echoed this emerging paradigm, which is increasingly recognised in both policy and academic discourse.
Building on the technological foundations laid by Industry 4.0, Industry 5.0 redefines the purpose of innovation around three interconnected pillars: human-centricity, sustainability, and resilience. Its objective is not simply to accelerate technological advancement, but to ensure that innovation creates value for people, contributes to sustainable development, and strengthens the resilience of our social, economic, and environmental systems.
In the Opening Remarks Dr. Felipe Paullier, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs and Head of the UN Youth Office, reflects on the importance of the youth involvement in the UN system to ensure that human well-being remains at the centre of every decision related to digital technologies adoption.
The discussion on digital well-being “is not about technology, it’s really about people, it’s about how we feel, how we connect, how we live, and how we thrive in an increasingly digital world” – Dr. Felipe Paullier.
This means recognising both the extraordinary opportunities that digital technologies create and the complex challenges they introduce. The debate, structured around two contrasting perspectives, demonstrated that the central issue is not whether digital technologies are inherently good or bad. Rather, their impact depends on how they are designed, governed, and used.
Team A emphasised the transformative potential of digital connectivity for young people’s well-being. They argued that digital platforms can strengthen social support networks, reduce isolation, and expand access to education and mental health services. Online communities can provide safe spaces where young people share experiences, seek support, and access professional resources that might otherwise remain out of reach. Team B adopted a more risk-aware perspective. Rather than questioning the value of digital technologies themselves, they highlighted the need to address challenges such as privacy breaches, misinformation, algorithmic manipulation, excessive dependence on digital platforms, and the psychological consequences of constant connectivity.
Thus, technological progress must be accompanied by appropriate safeguards. However, the debate shifted the focus away from technology itself and towards the conditions under which it contributes to human well-being. The key question is no longer whether society should embrace AI, but how we can maximise its benefits while minimising its risks.
Alice Paola Pomè | SI
Next Generation Representative 2026-2027
From Team A’s perspective, the answer lies in meaningful connectivity, ensuring that digital access translates into genuine opportunities for participation, learning, inclusion, and ultimately, improved well-being. Team B complemented this vision by calling for stronger governance, greater transparency, and robust regulatory frameworks capable of protecting young people in increasingly AI-mediated digital environments.
Taken together, the two perspectives revealed that these goals are not contradictory but complementary. Technology should enhance human agency, not replace it. This goes back to the discussion presented by Industry 5.0, showing that AI should empower individuals rather than diminish their autonomy. While digital tools will undoubtedly continue transforming education, work, and social interaction, they can never replace the value of authentic human relationships.
Finally, the real challenge is no longer understanding the relationship between young people and digital technologies, but it is ensuring that young people grow up healthy, resilient, digitally literate, and empowered. The success of digital transformation should therefore not be measured by the ability of digital technologies to enhance human well-being. This requires ethical governance, meaningful digital inclusion, widespread digital literacy, and a shared commitment to ensuring that technology always serves people; not the other way around.
