Author's Note & Context:
This blog post explores youth digital privacy, online safety, and the invisible role of predictive algorithms in everyday life. It highlights the growing gap between perceived digital skills and real-world action among young people, advocating for systemic support and clearer digital literacy education.
One evening, I was talking to a friend about a pair of sneakers I liked. I had not searched for this specific pair, nor had I typed their brand name anywhere. I simply said it out loud. A few minutes later, an advertisement for almost the exact same pair appeared on my screen. I froze. In that moment, it felt as if my phone had been listening to me from the corner of the room.
But while it is tempting to believe our devices are literally wiretapping our conversations, the reality is both more logical and more unsettling. It wasn't eavesdropping; it was the power of predictive algorithms. Even though I hadn't searched for those exact sneakers, I had left a trail of other digital breadcrumbs, browsing fashion and sports apps, visiting certain online stores, sharing my location, or simply being grouped into a specific demographic of interests. Algorithms are incredibly skilled at connecting these separate dots to predict exactly what we might want next.
That was when I understood something uncomfortable: privacy is not lost all at once. We give it away piece by piece, one rushed click, one permission, one "Accept" button at a time. Like most young people, I use technology every day to learn, talk to friends, watch videos, and discover new things. But until that evening, I had rarely asked myself what my apps were learning about me in return.
Every search, location tag, photo, and message becomes a piece of a larger puzzle, our digital portrait. While a single data point seems harmless, combining them reveals a startlingly clear picture. For instance, by matching a daily routine from location services with school hours, an algorithm can easily deduce where you study, the exact route you walk home, what stores you frequent, and even the precise hours you are left home alone. What looks like scattered, trivial information can quietly tell a story about who we trust, what we fear, or when we feel most vulnerable, a story we never actually agreed to share.
This is not just my personal concern; the data shows we are dealing with a significant gap in digital literacy. According to the Disrupting Harm in Montenegro report, 82% of internet-using children aged 12–17 claim they know how to block unwanted pop-ups, 74% say they know how to adjust privacy settings, and 73% believe they know how to report harmful content. At first glance, these numbers sound encouraging. However, we have to look closer: these percentages only show what young people say they know, which does not always translate to real-world action. In fact, the report reveals that the rate of children who actually report online harm in reality is incredibly low. This gap suggests that we might not know these tools as well as we claim, or perhaps we lack the confidence and systemic support to actually use them.
Ultimately, knowing where a privacy button is does not always mean understanding what is at stake. We may know how to turn off location access, but not understand why a simple game or a photo-editing app wanted access to our GPS in the first place. We are constantly asked to make split-second decisions about permissions, tracking, and cookies, decisions that even adults find incredibly confusing. Young people should not have to choose between being connected and being safe. Apps should explain clearly what they collect, schools should teach digital safety as a critical life skill, and adults must listen when young people say that something online feels wrong.
I still use technology every single day. I still download apps and find myself mindlessly scrolling through social media. If I am being completely honest, I don't always get it right; there are still times when I get distracted and click "Accept" just to get an annoying pop-up out of my way. But I am actively trying to build a better habit. I try to pause before I click. I try to check permissions and ask why an app needs access to my camera, microphone, contacts, or location.
Because privacy is not about having something to hide. It is about having the right to decide what parts of yourself belong to the world, and what parts still belong only to you.
