Don’t Forget the Positives: How Youth Are Using Tech to Create Real & Positive Change

At The White Hatter, we spend a lot of time helping parents, educators, caregivers, and teens understand the risks that come with technology. It’s important to talk about those risks honestly. However, it’s equally important to talk about what’s going right. Too often, public conversation focuses only on what’s going wrong, what youth and teens are doing online that’s harmful, risky, concerning, and not allowing them to thrive. What gets lost in all of that are the many examples of youth using technology, cellphones, the internet, and social media in incredibly positive, powerful ways.

We want parents, caregivers, youth and teens to see the full balanced picture.

Technology has given this generation of youth and teens something previous generations didn’t have, a global stage. With a few taps, they can speak up, be heard, and spark change. Youth and teens today aren’t just scrolling, they are organizing climate strikes, raising awareness for mental health, challenging injustice, building online support communities, raising money for charity, sharing creative work, mentoring peers, and learning skills that will prepare them for the future all through the use of technology, the internet, and social media. Many are already using digital tools in ways that reflect empathy, resilience, curiosity, and leadership.

The idea that youth and teens are simply “addicted to screens” and not thriving is far too simplistic, and just not true. Yes, some digital habits need to be managed. Yes, there are online harms we all need to take seriously. However, framing the issue as “tech is bad, youth are helpless” does a disservice to the majority of teens who are using these platforms with purpose, care, and creativity.

Let’s challenge ourselves to talk about the risks and the opportunities. Let’s make space for the full story. Because the truth is, youth aren’t just being influenced by tech, they’re influencing it. They’re shaping it, innovating with it, and using it to move the world forward.

So the next time you hear another headline about how “screens are ruining a generation,” remember, that’s not the whole story, not even close, and here are just a couple of great examples:

North Vancouver Student’s Cancer Detection App A Finalist In Apple Developer Challenge: https://www.nsnews.com/local-news/north-vancouver-students-cancer-detection-app-asasfagfasf-finalist-in-apple-developer-challenge-10885954 

Canada’s Teen Fact-Checking Network:  https://mediasmarts.ca/press-centre/press-releases/canadas-teen-fact-checking-network-renewed-2025-after-successful-first-year?utm_source=chatgpt.com 

14yr Old Develops An Ai App To Detect Heart Disease in 7 Seconds: https://www.towardshealthcare.com/blog/ai-app-detect-heart-disease-siddharth-nandyala 

Teen Invents Self-Driving Robot To Tackle Major Landscaping Industry Issue: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/teen-invents-self-driving-robot-111535869.html 

Canadian Youth and Philanthropy Initiative: https://www.goypi.ca/ 

Warrior Up : https://warriorup.tv/activism-101/ 

Gen-Z For Change: https://www.genzforchange.org/ 

TurnUp: https://www.turnup.us/about-us 

Digital Food For Thought

The White Hatter

Facts Not Fear, Facts Not Emotions, Enlighten Not Frighten, Know Tech Not No Tech