Why do you want to participate?

Studying Media and Information at the University of Amsterdam, I have developed a profound awareness of how emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, influence issues surrounding privacy, ethics, and democratic freedoms. My academic focus has sharpened my insight into how digital innovations can simultaneously empower and challenge personal liberties and democratic discourse. As a blogger actively engaged in social media, I deeply value freedom of expression online. I consistently explore and advocate for responsible yet open digital dialogue, highlighting both the benefits and potential threats to free speech posed by technology-driven surveillance and censorship practices. Participating in the Youth Freedom Conference aligns perfectly with my background and interests, offering me the opportunity to exchange perspectives with fellow young ambassadors from diverse cultural contexts. Through meaningful dialogues, I aim to further my understanding of global challenges related to freedom and democracy, contribute my insights about the ethical implications of AI, and collaboratively create impactful messages to uphold and spread the ideals of freedom worldwide.

What does freedom mean to you?

Freedom to me means the right and opportunity to express ideas, beliefs, and identities authentically and openly, without fear of repression or censorship. As someone deeply involved with media studies and actively engaged in social media platforms, I view freedom as the cornerstone of meaningful dialogue, innovation, and progress. It also carries responsibility—respecting the rights and dignity of others, ensuring inclusivity, and maintaining ethical standards, especially in the digital age where new technologies challenge our concepts of privacy and autonomy. Ultimately, freedom is about empowering individuals and communities to shape their futures while safeguarding democratic values and human dignity.

What are the biggest challenges?

One of the biggest challenges regarding freedom for young people today lies in navigating the tension between technological advancement and individual rights. With the rise of digital platforms, artificial intelligence, and pervasive social media usage, young individuals increasingly face restrictions on their privacy, personal autonomy, and freedom of expression. Drawing from my personal experiences as a blogger, I've encountered situations where publishing content required passing through multiple layers of strict censorship. Certain sensitive or prohibited words were either completely blocked or significantly limited my posts' reach and engagement. As a result, users, including myself, frequently resorted to inventing abbreviations or coded language to evade such scrutiny, highlighting the constraints placed upon genuine and open dialogue online. Addressing these challenges necessitates promoting digital literacy, advocating for transparency and fairness in content moderation policies, and establishing robust protections for freedom of expression in the digital landscape. Another critical challenge young people face regarding freedom today is the inherent bias embedded within the data used to train artificial intelligence, particularly large language models. As a Media and Information student, I recognize that these AI systems often reflect and amplify existing biases from their training datasets. This can significantly skew the information individuals receive, as algorithms increasingly define and limit the content that reaches us. Such algorithmic filtering creates echo chambers, restricting exposure to diverse viewpoints and potentially reinforcing prejudices and misinformation. In my own experience as a content creator, I've noticed how algorithmic biases subtly shape audience interactions by promoting certain narratives while marginalizing others, which ultimately constrains freedom of expression. When combined with the existing challenges of platform censorship I've previously mentioned—where users must resort to coded language to bypass content restrictions—it becomes clear that digital freedom is increasingly defined and restricted by these underlying technologies.

Do you have a message?

In an age defined by rapid technological progress and the unprecedented connectivity of the digital world, I believe it is essential to recall Marx's powerful call for the richness and diversity of the human spirit. Marx argued passionately that the human spirit is infinitely varied and that attempts to impose uniformity upon it represent a profound injustice. He famously remarked, “You admire the delightful variety and infinite richness of nature; you do not demand that the rose emits the fragrance of a violet, yet why do you insist that the most abundant thing in the world—the human spirit—should exist in only one form?” My ideal deeply inspired by Marx’s advocacy, is to emphasize that true freedom lies in protecting the diverse expressions of human thought, especially in our digital age. While social media platforms and advanced algorithms connect people globally, these same technologies pose new threats to freedom, such as online censorship, algorithm-driven echo chambers, and biased information. As individuals, we must be vigilant about safeguarding our freedom of expression from undue restrictions and biases, yet remain aware that such freedom also carries responsibilities. I advocate for transparent, accountable content moderation systems online, clear ethical guidelines for AI-driven algorithms, and strong digital literacy education to empower individuals to discern truth from misinformation. By striking a careful balance—one that respects individual freedoms while protecting society from genuine harm—we can ensure that our digital era honors Marx’s vision of a rich, diverse, and vibrant spiritual world flourishing freely under the sun.