On the very first day of summer, which also happened to be International Children’s Day, we gathered at the Coda Library in the heart of Dutch Apeldoorn with an awesome group of thoughtful and curious teens. Our goal? To talk about something that’s on everyone’s mind these days: online safety, digital identity, and empathy.

We had so much to discuss! Honestly, we could’ve kept the conversation going forever. But we had to focus on the most important topics, pushing the limits of our brainpower and using every bit of the teens’ mental bandwidth. By the end, their minds were totally drained (in the best way).

What did we actually talk about? What did we play? What did we share?
• The pros and cons of online communication: yep, it’s not all good or all bad, it’s complicated!

• The different sides of digital identity: from the chronic oversharer to the one who stays totally anonymous. Who actually are you online?
• Strategies for responding to online aggression: not with clap-backs or drama, but with empathy and nonviolent communication. Way more interesting than it sounds, and definitely not easy!

Everyone opened up about their own online experiences: communication in chats, games, websites, and platforms. We talked about peer pressure, trolls (both mean and kind ones), and the chaos that sometimes happens in comment sections.
We also thought about how to set personal boundaries online, and why they actually matter.
After all these discussions, it became even clearer that emotional intelligence skills are a total must-have for anyone using the internet.

What was the main conclusion after our meeting?
Empathy is still one of the most powerful tools for communication – online and offline.
But at the same time, it’s also one of the hardest to use. Maybe because it doesn’t come naturally to everyone. Or maybe because using it means not just hitting pause on your own emotions, but also learning to shift the focus, cool down before reacting, and tune in to what someone else might be wanting and feeling.

Big thanks to Coda Apeldoorn, and to the amazing chef who made sure no one left hungry with tons of sandwiches, delicious pastries, and unlimited soda!
Thanks to all the parents for your support.
And thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the internet a little kinder — one thoughtful conversation at a time.