Towards a Safer Digital Future: Exploring Stakeholder Perspectives on Creating a Sustainable Youth Online Safety Community

In this study, we synthesize insights from secondary stakeholders (i.e., IT professionals, teachers, and entrepreneurs) in youth online safety regarding the use of online community platforms to raise awareness, and their effectiveness in sponsoring community engagement for developing youth online safety solutions. We created an online platform comprised of a youth online risk detection dashboard and stakeholder engagement features. We conducted semi-structured interviews with secondary stakeholders (n=10) in youth online safety to gain insights related to the use of 1) an online risk detection tool for youth, and 2) an online community platform. We present findings on the youth-focused risk detection dashboard, its educational integration, and effective consortium-building practices. Findings indicate that stakeholders emphasized the importance of privacy in managing youth’s social media data, within online youth communities. They highlighted the potential of such communities in educational settings to boost digital literacy, advocating for enhanced transparency and data protection.