“Co-creation in Action” Event Report

On 23 April 2025, Mental Health Europe hosted its first Co-Creation in Action event titled Co-creating good mental health for children and young people in a digital world. The purpose of the event was to reflect on the needs to be addressed, explore whether the current regulatory framework is fit for purpose and identify the best ways to move forward towards a digital world that puts people and human rights at the centre, by design and by default.

Diverse experts were invited, with the understanding that we all share the same vision: for children and young people to thrive, offline and online and for children and young people to fully enjoy their human rights in a digital environment. The event gathered young people, human rights advocates, researchers, policymakers, and professionals, the event explored how to create a safer, more supportive digital environment.

At Mental Health Europe, we believe that strengthening efforts on digital literacy and providing supportive environments offline are important measures. However, such actions are not enough as they do not address the core issue, such as the way big platforms are designed and the very business model of Big Tech. A crucial step forward is implementing human rights by default and by design. It is crucial for regulators to enact and enforce policies addressing the design features and the power imbalance. Online platforms need to act and be held accountable if they do not.

This report summarises the key discussions from the event, along with recommendations developed through interactive sessions with participants, following the departure of speakers representing the respective EU institutions.