Content
In an age filled with information, it's not just important how you find something, but primarily what you do with it. This playlist focuses on Critical Digital Literacy. This includes the technical skills to search, evaluate, and communicate information clearly.
The 'critical' component, however, goes further: it demands a broad understanding of the impact of digital transformation on young people’s lives. You will learn how to help young people critically assess news, social media, and online trends, guiding them to navigate the complexity of the digital society.
Key Focus Areas in this Playlist:
- Searching, evaluating, and communicating information (C4.1).
- Critically reflecting on the impact of digital transformation (C4.2).
About the Digital Competence Check
This playlist is directly linked to Competence Area 4 of the Digital Competence Check Critical digital literacy, which is based on the European DYW SNAC Model. The Check covers 5 areas, 14 specific competences, and 38 indicators, helping you to map your starting proficiency level. By following this playlist, you will specifically target and improve the skills identified as areas for development.
This playlist features activities from the platform, all directly connected to this competence area. It is up to you to decide which activities are the most interesting and relevant for your professional development.
Within each activity, you will find four different badges. One badge is specifically intended for the Youth Worker. There are also badges for the Youth Worker's Manager and for Young People, should you wish to involve them in your development. This joint growth path is essential and is rooted in the Digital Systemic Team approach. Evidence shows that digital youth work is best realised when these four roles (Youth Worker, Manager, Young Person) collaborate.
Activities to complete
Complete the following activities, earn badges and you will see your playlist progress updated
Content
This activity helps youth workers and organisations tune into the digital world of young people
Explore free social listening tools that will help ethically observing what youth are searching for, sharing, or tagging online, to make youth programs more relevant, engaging, and culturally connected.
Instead of guessing what matters to youth, this activity teaches you to listen — through trends, hashtags, search queries, and online content signals — without intruding on personal data or privacy.
By completing this activity, you will
- Understand the concept of social listening in the context of youth work.
- Use free tools to explore what young people are talking about or engaging with online.
- Reflect on how digital insights can shape your activities, content, and communication.
Get inspired
Then watch this video that introduces the basics of social listening:
While the video uses brand examples, think of how actively listening to what young people are talking about and how knowing what young people care about could help you:
- Connect better with youth
- Develop activities that are in line with the needs of young people in your community
- Be more effective in your work
Take action: activities for different roles
Youth workers:
- Use free social listening tools to explore what’s trending among young people in your area.
- Choose one trending topic and design a small-scale idea, discussion prompt, or event around it.
- Reflect on how these tools help you identify youth interests, needs, or gaps.
Youth organisations:
- Involve youth workers and youth by having them co-explore what’s trending and reflect together on the meaning behind the trends.
- Build a digital insight wall or shared doc to track important hashtags, YouTube videos, or cultural moments.
Suggested follow-up activities
- Co-design a workshop based on an emerging trend you’ve found (e.g. AI, mental health, climate, music).
- Create a “Youth Pulse Report” — a fun, informal summary of what young people in your group are engaging with online.
- Develop a content idea (short video, post, story) that reflects something relevant from your listening findings.
Claim open badge recognition
- Skills and experiences gained
- Ethical digital observation
- Trend analysis and digital empathy
- Strategic thinking in program design
- Youth culture awareness
- Data-informed creativity
Who created this resource?
This activity was developed by CITI (Curaçao Innovation and Technology Institute), a partner in the Digital Systemic project, as part of the Erasmus+ project Systemic Development of Digital Youth Work, in collaboration with the Cities of Learning Network.

Get activity badge
Awarded for exploring and applying social listening tools to better understand and respond to young people’s online culture and interests.
Tasks
Evidence verified by: one activity organiser
Step 1:
Watch the video: How To Use Google Trends | Beginner's Guide by EasyTechGeek:
Step 2:
Use google trends to identify the most popular YouTube searches in your community over the last three months
Step 3:
Reflect on three insights that you have gained about youth interests, needs, or gaps.
Step 4:
Share your insights