Young people’s digital lives are shaped by constant connectivity, social visibility and rapid information flows. While online platforms and social media enable essential social connections, provide spaces for identity formation and self-expression, and offer invaluable educational opportunities, harms are now feared to outweigh benefits if unchecked. Media literacy and digital resilience initiatives are widely used to educate young people about online risks. However, there is growing concern that many adult-designed approaches fail to resonate with the realities of young people’s experiences of online spaces.