Plenary Session of the Alliance for the Protection of Children in the Digital Environment - "Childhood Cybersecurity: Challenges, Strategy, Cooperation"

The experts of the session were: Tatyana Matveeva, Head of the Office of the President of the Russian Federation for the Development of Information and Communication Technologies and Communications Infrastructure, Irina Shvartsman, Deputy Minister of Education of the Russian Federation, Evgeny Khasin, Acting Director of the Cybersecurity Department of the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation, Elizaveta Belyakova, Chairman of the Alliance for the Protection of Children in the Digital Environment, Vladimir Tabak, CEO of Dialog ANCO and Dialog Regions ANCO, Dmitry Gulyaev, Youth Digital Ombudsman, Ruslan Yusufov, Founder and Managing Partner of MINDSMITH, an expert in technology trends and information security.

The plenary session discussed key challenges and solutions in the field of cybersecurity of childhood. The speakers stressed the importance of coordination between government agencies, businesses, and public organizations to protect children from cyber threats, including cyberbullying, fraud, access to unwanted content, and deepfakes. Special attention was paid to educational programs aimed at improving the digital literacy of children, parents and teachers.

"Our main task is to develop a "collective digital immunity" among the younger generation. Now about a third of children believe that the Internet is a safe environment, and they fully trust information from the Network. This is an area of development for the state, parents, educational institutions, socially responsible businesses, and civil society. We need to teach children and teenagers to think critically, identify risks and respond to them correctly," Tatyana Matveeva, Head of the Office of the President of the Russian Federation for the Development of Information and Communication Technologies and Communications Infrastructure, said.

Return to the Origins: Russian Digital Cultural Code

Runet is experiencing a new round of interest in Slavic culture: folklore, music and literature are becoming not only content, but also part of modern digital trends. Young people are forming a new vision of the "Russian digital cultural code", combining traditions and technological capabilities.

The moderator is Alexey Goreslavsky, General Director of IRI ANCO. Speakers: Ilya Emelin, Director of Content Management at RUTUBE, Sergey Vasiliev, Founder of the Birchpunk project, Natalia Lavrenova, art critic, Mikhail Kanavtsev, Vice-Rector of the Senezh Management Workshop for Media Education, Head of the New Media Workshop, Andrey Vorobyov, Director of the Coordination Center for the National Internet Domain ANCO, Roman Varakin, blogger.

The discussion focused on the role of the Internet in popularizing Russian culture, the combination of traditional motifs with digital trends, and the influence of social networks and media platforms on cultural perception. Experts noted the growing interest of young people in folklore and literature, and emphasized the importance of protecting national content and developing domestic media platforms. Digital culture today is shaping a new generation that is aware of its cultural roots.

 “Media figures need, first of all, to popularize the concept of a multipolar world. Western culture is a unification for the purpose of simplifying the system of manipulation. In contrast, Russian culture is capable of preserving its identity. The next thing is an emphasis on popularizing mathematical thinking. And this is logic, and critical, and systemic thinking. And the final emphasis is on science fiction. It is important for media figures to create content about science fiction together with scientists and those who directly lead the development," Mikhail Kanavtsev, Vice-Rector of the Senezh Management Workshop, Head of the New Media Workshop, said.

Loneliness on the Web: the New Generation and Socialization

Generation Alpha, having grown up with digital technologies, faces new challenges of socialization. The Internet provides endless opportunities for communication, but it changes the very format of interaction between people. The speakers discussed how online friendships and virtual contacts influence youth development.

The moderator is Ekaterina Torkunova, lawyer, TV presenter. Speakers: Elizaveta Belyakova, Chairman of the Alliance for the Protection of Children in the Digital Environment, Maxim Kozin, Product Director of Yappy, Daria Chernyakhovskaya, Head of the NEWM TASS project, Artem Chalenko, Founder and CEO of Listique AI, Stanislav Makhortov, Deputy Head of the Department of Special Projects and Academic Programs of the Scientific and Technical Center of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "General Radiofrequency Center", Alexander Zarubin, blogger, Arina Dubkova, blogger.

The discussion focused on the risks of internet addiction, digital personal boundaries, and the impact of social networks on self-esteem and the psychological health of young people. Experts noted the need to develop digital ethics and critical perception of information. The outcome of the discussion was the importance of joint efforts by the state and business in creating a safe and informed digital environment.

 “Yappy’s main audience is Generation Alpha – children and teenagers up to 15-16 years old. At preschool age, they mostly play games, but at school age, socialization, community creation, and watching educational and entertainment content come to the fore,” said Maxim Kozin. He noted that Happy takes into account the interests of its users and offers them different scenarios for content consumption. In particular, you can not only watch and create vertical videos in the application, but also play games, listen to music and exchange messages. Since representatives of the Generation Alpha are children, safety remains a priority for the vertical video application: all profiles, videos and comments are strictly moderated, Maxim Kozin added.

Many Numbers From Nothing: the Internet and Science

The digitalization of science opens up new horizons, but it also poses challenges for researchers. How to find a balance between trends and basic research? How does commercialization affect the quality of scientific work? These issues have become key in the discussion about the future of science in the digital age.

The moderator is Alexander Khanarov, Head of the BRICS International Youth Project Laboratory "BRICS Project Lab". Speakers: Vitaly Terentyev, Director of GR HH.ru , Vitaly Soldatenko, Head of the Start-up Department at Rosselkhoznadzor, Mikhail Nachevsky, Head of the Digital Transformation Department at Plekhanov Russian Economic University, Natalia Perepelkina, Head of the B2G Netology Production Center, Seal Rahmanuddin Seraji, Head of the Youth scientific association of the Diagnostics and Telemedicine Center of MC HD, Denis Yanyshev, Director of the Center for Electronic Educational Resources at Lomonosov Moscow State University.

The speakers discussed the impact of digitalization on fundamental science, the balance between trends and the quality of research, open data issues and government support for scientific digital initiatives. Particular attention was paid to the use of AI in scientific research. The outcome of the discussion is that the digital transformation of science must go hand in hand with fundamental principles.

Denis Yanyshev noted: “The President of Russia, having defined the national development goals of our country for the period up to 2030 and for the long term up to 2036, identified the achievement of technological leadership and digital sovereignty as key ones. As part of the “Solutions and Services for the Professional Community” initiative of the Decade of Science and Technology, we see our main task in popularizing proven domestic digital solutions, platforms and services that scientists and researchers can painlessly use in their professional activities.”

I Myself: Low-Risk IT Merchantry

Young entrepreneurs are increasingly choosing digital platforms to create and grow businesses. Due to the development of e-commerce and social networks, launching a startup is becoming easier, and new technologies help analyze the market and minimize risks.

The moderator is Marina Amelina, Vice President of the Vostok Investments investment Holding. Speakers: Alexey Murzenok, Director of International Partner Programs at Russian Export Center JSC, Vitaly Stepanov, CEO of Moscow Export Center ANCO, Dmitry Sidorin, Founder of Sidorin Lab, Reputation House and LIMUR Educational Center, Maxim Ikonnikov, Director of Development and Sales at SMB VK, Natalia Berdyeva, evangelist of IT innovations in the sharing economy of Skillstaff, Nikita Shnyrev, CEO of Human Capital Development ANCO, Daria Chetvergova, Rostelecom Project Manager.

New tools for entrepreneurs, digital marketing strategies, and cases of successful startups were discussed. The speakers noted that small technology businesses are becoming an important element of the economy, capable of quickly adapting to changes. The bottom line is that digital entrepreneurship will continue to grow, providing more and more opportunities for young businessmen to develop.

Alexey Murzenok, Director of International Partner Programs at Russian Export Center JSC, spoke about the influence of youth on effective foreign marketing strategies: "Implementing all our unique promotional activities, we rely on young people who set digital marketing trends. In 2024, our campaigns in National "Made in Russia" stores on international marketplaces led to a 2.8-fold increase in retail sales of Russian goods compared to last year: among the attracted ambassadors, bloggers and final recipients of advertising communications, primarily young people, which makes "Made in Russia", including the youth national movement".

Maxim Ikonnikov, Director of Development and Sales for SMB VK, spoke about the opportunities available to young businessmen on VKontakte. "For young entrepreneurs today, online business development is not a new trend, but a given. They themselves are active users and understand that there is an audience on social networks or, for example, on marketplaces, which can and should be reached with free and paid tools. VK is trying to provide young entrepreneurs with as many opportunities and formats as possible to successfully develop their business in social networks, build a brand, and increase sales: this includes everything necessary for posting and promoting content, social commerce tools, and intuitive platforms for advertising and promotion through bloggers,” Maxim Ikonnikov noted.

NEWM TASS Session: The Visual Component of Social Networks

Within the framework of the forum, a practical master class was held on creating visual content for social networks. Experts discussed key principles for post design, mistakes to avoid, and strategies for increasing audience engagement.

Daria Chernyakhovskaya, Project Manager, noted: "The NEWM TASS team held an intense master class. We have positive experience in transforming content. During the year, the NEWM TASS project managed to increase its audience reach by more than 100 times. That is why we believe that we can share our knowledge."

The Forum has become a platform for meaningful dialogue between representatives of business, science, government agencies and the expert community. The discussions touched upon current challenges in the digital environment, opportunities for technological development and regulatory issues. During the discussions, the participants exchanged experiences and proposals for further cooperation. The results of the meetings will be used to form new initiatives and projects. Stay tuned for updates on our platforms!