My interest in digital rights has deepened through my professional and academic experience. I have studied first-hand how social media and digital platforms, often presented as spaces for free expression, are mediated by logics that, at the very least, shape individuals and societies. I believe it is clear how algorithms and trends are used to influence the agenda and shape public opinion. I have come to understand that social media are not necessarily spaces for democratic exchange, but are mediated by private entities and can be ordered, classified and filtered, thus becoming a new public space, and perhaps the most important one today. This can generate biased views and, as Franco ‘Bifo’ Berardi (2017) points out, construct ‘an automated common sense’ that undoubtedly shapes the actions of society as a whole, and particularly those of young people, who have grown up mediated by technology. My motivation is to go beyond observation and become an agent of change, as I believe it is vital to question these logics and work to ensure that access to information and communication is understood as a right, not a service. I want to be part of a community that seeks to think about other values that go beyond immediacy and efficiency, so that digital technology serves the common good. In this vein, it is crucial to understand that the right to education, work, and personal and professional development are now entirely mediated by technology. If we think about how people's personal and professional development is generated – particularly that of young people – we can see that training is increasingly mediated by technology, from online courses to the development of new professions such as content creation. This allows us to understand that both the quality of life and the opportunities available to young people depend directly on access to technological devices and quality platforms. Thus, the ‘digital divide’ is not only a question of access, but also of quality and capacity for use. The quality of access to technology can limit or enhance the quality of young people's work and professional development, which can undoubtedly deepen social inequalities.