By Lasse Brandt Fredsager, AAU Communication and Public Affairs

Associate Professor Malene Charlotte Larsen from the Department of Communication and Psychology, where she leads the research group Digital Media in Everyday Life, has been appointed by the Minister of Culture as a member of the Danish Media Council for Children and Young People. Her appointment runs from 10 November 2025 to 30 April 2029.

The Media Council for Children and Young People is an independent organisation established by the Ministry of Culture and composed of seven expert members. The council works to ensure the digital safety, well-being, and rights of children and young people across the media landscape. Its responsibilities include age classification of cinema films, advising streaming services to protect children from harmful content, and promoting digital literacy through public information, projects, and guidance for parents and professionals.

The appointment provides Malene Charlotte Larsen with an opportunity to bring her research on children’s and young people’s use of social media closer to practice and to the stakeholders who work directly with these issues. She is currently conducting the research project SoMeWell, which examines how children and young people aged 11 to 17 decode the design mechanisms used on social media, and how these mechanisms relate to their well-being. This knowledge will be directly relevant to the Media Council’s work and its communication efforts.