"Youth in a Digital Society" Conference

The “Youth in a Digital Society” conference is a new initiative under the University Research Focus “Education for the Future” and is intended to become an annual event in Potsdam, Germany. Our goal is to bring together international, interdisciplinary researchers from across the broad field of digital media research.

The conference focuses on digital media use and its effects, particularly on children, adolescents, and young adults. We aim to shed light on both psychological outcomes, such as mental health, and sociopolitical outcomes, including political engagement and radicalization. Moreover, we aim to look at different types of interventions to prevent problematic use and adverse outcomes.

To that end, we have invited leading researchers from Germany, across Europe, and beyond to Potsdam to present their work in four symposia and two keynote lectures. In addition, an open call for posters provides further opportunities for researchers to share interactive insights into their projects.

The conference is designed as a space for exchange, discussion, and developing new ideas. To foster collaboration, we will also host roundtable sessions that offer a more open format for discussing emerging ideas and initiating new research partnerships.

We warmly invite you to join us for the inaugural “Youth in a Digital Society” conference on October 8-9, 2026, and to take part in this interdisciplinary exchange in Potsdam.