The digital world offers incredible opportunities for education and entertainment but it also brings new risks for young people. EU Commissioner Glenn Micallef is at the forefront of tackling these challenges and boosting digital safety for future generations. Speaking with SiGMA as part of the B2G series, he outlined how the European Union is taking action to combat cyberbullying, strengthen digital skills and harness the creative power of gaming to prepare the next generation for the future.

Protection, empowerment and participation

For Commissioner Micallef, the mission can be broken down into three key aspects: “Protection, empowerment and participation. All these go hand in hand and they are fundamental building blocks of our vision in the digital sector,” he explained.

The urgency of the task is underscored by the numbers. “We have one in six adolescents who have experienced issues with cyberbullying affecting their well-being, affecting their mental health, their performance in school, but also their social interactions.” With digital addiction presenting another growing concern, Micallef warned, “Children today are suffering from digital addiction. It’s a growing concern and this has become a reality for many children. It’s no longer an abstract issue.”

To address this, the European Union is developing a robust Action Plan on Cyberbullying, working with civil society, researchers, national authorities, academia and crucially, young people themselves. “Through this plan, we identify solutions that work and scale them up, and we foster greater collaboration between all these stakeholders to detect cases of cyberbullying and address them in a faster way.”

Building digital skills for the future

Micallef stressed that protection is only one side of the equation. Education and empowerment are equally vital. “It’s not enough to say that young people are increasingly online. We need them to be able to identify where there are risks and we need them to be able to flag those risks and navigate these risks in a way that minimises them.”

Digital literacy, he said, must be at the core of Europe’s approach. Through initiatives like Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps, the EU is already supporting peer engagement, civic education, and skills development. “We will work on creating digitally literate citizens in our society,” Micallef added. This effort also requires offering alternatives to screen time. “We have to see what alternatives we can offer to screen time, alternatives like sport and improving cultural offerings for our citizens.”

Gaming for education and jobs

While addressing online risks is critical, Micallef also emphasised the positive role of gaming and creative industries. “This is one of the fastest growing digital but also creative sectors globally. It’s entertainment but it’s also generating revenues. It’s also creating millions of jobs across our continent, from coding to designers, writers, translators, and even musicians.”

For policymakers, this means fostering the right environment for the sector to thrive. “We must invest in the skills which are needed for this industry to continue to grow in Europe. I’m speaking about creative skills but also entrepreneurial skills. And we must create the right conditions, the right regulatory framework for this industry to continue to grow, to stay in Europe, to flourish and thrive.”

Games are not only about employment or entertainment, they can also support health and education. “Video games are entertainment but they can also provide us with tools for education, for health, but also for engagement. It’s proven in many instances that these sectors can support young people in being responsible, empowered and creative digital citizens across our European Union.”

Projects funded under Erasmus+ are already using video games in gyms and classrooms, encouraging both physical activity and digital learning. As Micallef emphasised “We have other projects that can be used as best practices of how video games can be used to create citizens which are responsible, empowered, but also digitally literate and creative.”

A shared responsibility

Commissioner Micallef closed with a call for collective effort. “We have to work together. This will take a whole-of-society approach. We will need to bring all players around the same table to prevent cases of cyberbullying, to identify solutions that have been delivering results and to share these experiences with other member states.”

The vision is ambitious: a Europe where young people are safe online, equipped with world-class digital skills and empowered to shape the future through creativity.

Join the journey

The intersection of gaming, technology, and regulation is central to SiGMA’s global summits. Join us at the SiGMA Central Europe Summit in Rome, November 03-06, where policymakers and industry leaders will continue the conversation on building a safe and creative digital future for Europe’s youth.

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