TikTok’s Global Youth Council Member Michelle Wanjiru /HANDOUT
At just 17, Kenyan youth advocate Michelle Wanjiru is using
her experience on TikTok’s Global Youth Council to push for safer and more
responsible use of social media among young people.
Wanjiru, the founder and CEO of NGO Mind of a Queen, says her
organisation brings together young girls across Kenya to discuss social media
and challenges affecting girls in society.
She joined TikTok’s Global Youth Council in 2023 after
Jennifer Kaberia of Mtoto News forwarded the opportunity to her parents.
“I applied and went through several interviews before I was
selected as one of the first Council members,” she said.
TikTok launched the Global Youth Council in 2023 in
partnership with Praesidio Safeguarding, an online safety agency, to give
teenagers an opportunity to share their views on online safety.
Wanjiru says the council has since grown from 15 members
when she joined to 30 teenagers from 21 countries, including Kenya, Nigeria and
Cameroon.
She says her participation has given her an opportunity to
provide feedback on safety features, reporting systems, privacy and digital
wellbeing.
“Since joining, I’ve helped provide feedback on new safety
features, discussed ways to improve reporting systems, and shared youth
perspectives on issues like privacy, and digital well-being,” the 17-year-old
says.
She cited well-being missions on TikTok, the meditation
feature and updates to the TikTok Teen Safety Center among the products and
resources where she said youth recommendations had been reflected.
“Knowing that our input can influence real changes on a
global platform is very empowering,” she said.
Against blanket social media bans
Wanjiru also weighs in on proposals in some countries to
restrict children under 16 from using social media, saying while safety should
remain a priority, access to digital platforms also provides young people with
opportunities.
“At the same time, we also need to recognise that for many
young people, social media is much more than entertainment,” she says.
She says young people use social media to discover and learn
new skills, access educational content, build businesses, express creativity,
find supportive communities and discover career opportunities.
“Limiting access alone doesn’t address the broader challenge
of preparing young people to navigate the digital world responsibly,” she says.
Instead, Wanjiru calls for collaboration between
governments, platforms, parents and young people to improve online safety.
She also advocates for stronger digital literacy and tools
that help young people make informed choices online, while encouraging parents
and guardians to understand and monitor teenagers’ online activity.
‘Young people’s voices matter’
Her experience on the council has changed her understanding
of technology and demonstrated the importance of involving young people in
decisions affecting digital platforms.
“Being on the Youth Council has really changed the way I see
technology and social media,” Wanjiru says.
“It has also made me realise that young people’s voices
really do matter. Since we’re the ones using these platforms every day, we can
share ideas and experiences that adults might not always see.”
She has urged teenagers to take an active role in shaping
their online experiences, including by being mindful of the content they engage
with.
“The biggest thing I’ve learned is we as teens have more
power than we think, not just over our own experience, but in shaping our
experience online,” she says.
Wanjiru has encouraged teenagers to curate their feeds,
block content that negatively affects them and engage with content that
inspires them.
She has also urged young people to provide their correct age
when joining platforms so they can access age-appropriate content and
communities.
“Be the person who makes the internet kinder,” she says,
adding that teenagers should remember that there is a real person behind every
online interaction.
Experience shaping ambitions
The council experience has also strengthened Wanjiru’s
ambitions as a youth advocate.
“I’ve always been passionate about advocating for young
people and making sure our voices are heard, especially on issues that affect
us every day,” she said.
She highlights meeting TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew and engaging
with the company’s Trust & Safety teams as one of the experiences that
stood out for her.
“Seeing him/them genuinely listen to our ideas and
experiences made me realise that our voices weren’t just being heard, they were
helping shape conversations at the highest level of the organisation,” she says.
“As a young person from Africa, that’s incredibly
empowering.”
Wanjiru says working alongside council members from
different countries and backgrounds had also broadened her perspective.
“Even though we all have different experiences, we share a
common goal of making online spaces safer for young people everywhere,” she says.
