Raised by Algorithms: The World Young People are Living In

If you’ve worked with young people in the past decade, you’ve likely felt it – something has changed. Engagement looks different. Effort feels socially risky. Identiy forms at algorithmic speed, while trust between generations feels more fragile. We tend to ask, “What’s gone wrong with young people?” But what if the issue isn’t that young people have changed, but that the world around them has?

Raised by Algorithms explores the world young people are growing up in, and what that means for those working alongside them. Drawing on frontline practice and research, this session reframes youth behaviour as adaptation to cultural and digital conditons rather than individual pathology.

Designed for youth music practitioners, creative facilitators and sector leaders, the session combines a sharp 20-25 minute provocation with guided discussion grounded in real practice.

You’ll leave with language for what you’re already witnessing, a clearer understanding of the forces shaping young people today, and practical reflections on pace, trust and relational posture in music spaces.

About Benjamin Turner

Benjamin Turner leads a platform and collective of young creatives within Black culture called ‘The Spit Game’. Developing talent across music and film, he has played a key role kickstarting a wide range of careers alongside pioneering award-winning approaches to education/talent development.

For any accessibility or disability-related queries please contact grants@youthmusic.org.uk. Please aim to let us know 24 hours before if you cannot make a session so we have an idea of numbers.