We were lucky to be invited to the 17th international EDULEARN2025 conference, which is happening right now in sunny Palma, Spain.

The island welcomed us very warmly — quite literally, with an average temperature of +33°C, but we didn’t expect anything less.

So, what are we doing here?

We’re sharing the results of our work, listening to presentations from education researchers from around the world, having insights, feeling validated in our efforts, and meeting amazing professionals.

The diversity of countries represented here really impressed us! Spain, Italy, Portugal, the USA, Canada, Finland, Sweden, Sri Lanka, Puerto Rico, Greece, North Macedonia, several from across Africa, and of course the Netherlands — many countries sent their enthusiasts, armed with PowerPoints and passion to present their latest educational research

One of the top themes of the conference can be called the use of AI in education and learning.

It was also the focus of the keynote speech by one of the two invited speakers, Punya Mishra from Arizona State University (USA), on the opening day of the conference, as well as an entire series of sessions.

Clearly, this topic is keeping educators up at night in every corner of the globe where the internet has reached.

We spoke in the “Student wellbeing” section and presented our lively talk on the initial outcomes of our Erasmus+ project “Online Safety: Protecting Teenagers from Antisocial Behaviour on Social Media” (2024-1-NL02-KA210-YOU000254138).

As you know, our project tackles one of the biggest challenges teenagers face today: how to use social media safely and deal with negative or harmful behaviour online.

We stressed that our mission has a dual focus: helping teenagers navigate the digital world safely, and supporting youth professionals with the tools they need to foster emotional regulation, mindfulness, and empathy among young people online.

A key highlight of the presentation was our anonymous online survey of 163 teenagers aged 12–18 from the Netherlands, Sweden, and other EU countries. The study revealed important trends:

• Most teenagers use social media extensively — for communication, entertainment, and news.

• A majority have encountered or witnessed antisocial behaviour online.

• Teens value privacy but often underestimate the risks of sharing personal content.

• Emotional regulation is a common gap in their coping strategies.

These findings became the foundation for the development of a workshop – the next stage of our project.

We also briefly shared the experience of the interactive workshop we held in Apeldoorn “Strong Online: Communication, Empathy & Identity in the Digital World”, during which, as you may recall, we focused on:

• Identifying harmful behavior online

• Using nonviolent communication to stop online aggression

• Practicing empathetic communication

• Creating a positive and authentic online image

There was no doubt among the audience that mastering these key skills could help develop digital resilience, especially among vulnerable youth who are disproportionately affected by online hostility.

We were reassured to discover that we are not alone in our research: similar challenges are just as relevant to educators in other countries.

What’s Next

EDULEARN2025 gave us a fantastic stage to share our ideas and connect with educators and youth experts from all over the world.

The support and feedback we received have truly boosted our motivation to keep going.

We firmly believe that protecting teens online is something we all need to take part in — and together, through education, cooperation, and empathy, we can make the online world a better and safer place for young people.

We’re excited about the possibility of future collaboration and expanding the scope of our project even further.

And tomorrow, we’re off on a sightseeing tour to Palma and Valldemossa. The four-hour trip will combine a panoramic bus tour and a walking tour through the old quarters of Palma, as well as a visit to Valldemossa — one of the most beautiful villages on the island.

This journey, both professional and cultural, continues to enrich our work and perspective!