“Where did you go to, if I may ask?’ said Thorin to Gandalf as they rode along. To look ahead,’ said he. ‘And what brought you back in the nick of time?’ Looking behind,’ said he.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien
Here we are in that pre-Christmas moment where setting the agenda for the year ahead is all wrapped in with thinking back over a busy season. Like Gandalf, I’m looking ahead… in my case to what’s beyond the end of the year, as well as peering over my shoulder and wondering how we got to here.
The big event looming on my horizon is the Digital Youth Work Conference on Safer Internet Day: 10 February 2026. The last few years we’ve so enjoyed getting together in person each year in a different city. Dundee, Glasgow and Stirling were all great… this year we’ll be in Edinburgh, hosted by Heart of Midlothian FC – Innovation Centre. The purpose? To explore how youth work can help make young people’s experience of online better. Join us if you possibly can. It’s free and sign-ups are busy, so don’t miss the opportunity. If you want to support young people to navigate their online lives, then this is the one!
At the conference we’re planning to launch an AI toolkit for the youth work sector in Scotland. The retrospective view involves a shout out to the two groups of young people have been at the heart of a project to explore how young people are reacting to generative AI in Scotland and how youth work can help. The Citadel Youth Centre in Leith and Cromar Future Group in Aberdeenshire have been the stars, delving into AI – particularly the generative AI of ChatGPT and the like – and conducting their own research to help us understand more about what young people think and feel. Support from the Include + Network has enabled this project on what is surely one of 2025’s hottest topics. AI impinges on so much else – everything from our daily tech use and work practices through to use in scams and disinformation.
Looking back, it feels that young people’s wellbeing in the online world has been another massive theme in 2025. Whether it’s banning social media for under 16s in Australia, Ofcom’s implementation of the online safety act in the UK or the moves towards a smart-phone free childhood there have been strong voices calling for more regulation. While legislating around this area is clearly part of the solution it’s not the whole story. But we mustn’t lose sight of the importance of equipping young people with the knowledge, skills, enthusiasm and critical thinking to make good choices. Youth work provides the ideal setting to do that well.
Talking about AI, at our National Youth Work conference in November, Jess McBeath, Online Safety Consultant said, “We can’t guide young people through a world we’re too afraid to understand.” That pretty much sums it for me. In the world of youth work we can partner with young people, encourage, support and make a difference.
During this last term I’ve been delighted to meet community education students at University of Edinburgh, University of West of Scotland and Fife College sharing with them about Digital Youth Work practice. Many of the students are learning alongside work and it has been so interesting to hear their reflections on young people’s online lives, the challenges and the opportunities. Youth work offers a place where young people can talk about the things that really matter to them.
Of course, Gandalf wasn’t just looking around aimlessly, he was scoping out the best way to get from A to B. He had the long term vision as well as an eye on the immediate risks. Heading into 2026 my vision is to show just how relevant digital youth work is. Young people’s lives include online. Youth work therefore has to include it too! In the world of youth work people have the skills to have those oh-so-valuable conversations.
If you are interested in supporting young people in Scotland with their online lives, get in touch, get involved in the digital youth network, come to the conference and find out how to build your own skills and confidence.
A bit of wizardly insight into what lies ahead would be great of course, but we will do the very best we can with what we’ve got – listening to the needs of the sector, consulting with young people, gathering insights, influencing potential partners and seeking out the resources that will make it all possible.
Wishing you peace this Christmas and a clear road ahead into the New Year.
Hilary Phillips
hphillips@youthlink.scot
Digital Youth Work lead at YouthLink Scotland
