New insights into young people’s digital lives, media use, and hopes for the future
Young people hold strong democratic media ideals and want more immersion, presence, and time spent with others. Yet many remain caught in a digital media environment they experience as both essential and deeply problematic.
Four hours and ten minutes. That’s how much time Danish 18–35-year-olds spend on their phones every day on average. Nearly three out of four believe it’s too much. Many describe their phone use as a kind of autopilot or “doomscrolling”, something they don’t actually want to do, yet find themselves drawn into and struggle to break free from.
These are some of the key insights from the Connect project, in which researchers and students from DMJX in collaboration with Roskilde Festival have conducted more than 600 interviews and large-scale surveys to explore how young people use media, and how they themselves think they should use it.
The findings point to a fundamental paradox: Young people have strong democratic media ideals and want more immersion, presence, and time with others. Yet many remain locked into a digital media environment they experience as both necessary and deeply problematic.
Major new study and insights presented
This time, the seminar takes place at the Danish School of Media and Journalism in Copenhagen.
Here, DMJX will present the first insights from the Connect project and invite participants to a conversation about what these findings tell us about young people’s relationship with media, technology, and the future.
At the seminar, Roskilde Festival Group’s three-year Utopia project will put the Connect insights into perspective by exploring how young people at the festival think about hope, agency, and the future—and how these perspectives connect to their digital lives.
The event is aimed at media and communication professionals, students, and anyone working with or curious about young people’s media habits, democracy, and digital culture.
Program
15:00 – 15:10
Welcome and introduction to the event
by Associate Professor Søren Schultz Jørgensen, DMJX, and Deputy Director Christina Bilde, Roskilde Festival
15:10 – 15:35
Key insights from the Connect project
Assistant Professor Signe Kammersgaard Müller and Søren Schultz Jørgensen, DMJX, present the project’s first key findings on 18–35-year-olds’ use of mobile phones, social media, and news media—and what they believe they should be doing instead.
15:35 – 15:55
Young people’s hopes for the future and imagination
Kara Djurhuus presents insights from Roskilde Festival Group’s Utopia project, sharing findings on festival participants’ dreams, hopes, and concerns about the future.
15:55 – 16:15
The voices of young people
Get up close as we share video and audio clips from respondents in the Connect studies. We also talk with three DMJX students from the project group about how they personally experience the digital patterns highlighted in the research.
16:15 – 16:30
Closing remarks and audience Q&A
16:30 – 17:00
Networking, refreshments, and informal conversation
DATE: April 16
TIME: 15:00–17:00
LOCATION: DMJX in Copenhagen, Amagerfælledvej 190, 2300 Copenhagen S, Conference room on the 6th floor
PRICE: Free (registration required)