The aim of the project “Young People Online – Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media” was to gain a realistic and experience-based understanding of how young people use social media in their everyday lives, focusing on both its opportunities and its risks. Instead of applying a top-down approach, the project was built on the active involvement of young people, enabling them to express their own views, experiences, concerns and ideas for solutions. A central intention was to treat young people not as passive recipients of information, but as active contributors who shape the content of the project and the related research. One of the key objectives was to strengthen media literacy and digital self-protection among young people. We aimed to raise awareness of the democratic potential of social media – such as self-expression, community building and participation in public life – while also addressing its risks in a realistic and tangible way. These included misinformation and disinformation, online harassment, data protection issues, the impact of algorithms, and the growing role of artificial intelligence. An important goal was to help young people understand that the online space is not value-neutral and that their digital decisions may have long-term consequences for their personal lives as well as for society. Another fundamental objective of the project was to promote active citizenship. During the five focus group discussions and the three large festival outreaches, young people did not only receive information, but also had the opportunity to engage in direct dialogue with decision-makers and professionals. The project deliberately created situations where young people could experience that their opinions matter, that their questions are valid, and that they are able to communicate meaningfully with actors of public life. This approach was further strengthened by the fact that the results of the research were not kept within professional circles, but were publicly presented and discussed at a dissemination conference at the end of the project. A concrete objective was also the implementation of a large-scale, nationwide online survey. With more than 2,000 respondents, the research provided a comprehensive picture of young people’s social media habits, attitudes and experiences in Hungary. The aim was not only to collect descriptive data, but also to formulate practical conclusions that can be used in education, youth policy, digital child protection and regulation. The research results were therefore designed to be relevant for professionals and decision-makers alike. An additional goal of the project was the development of the competencies of the young organisers themselves. From the very beginning, we placed strong emphasis on their active involvement: they took part in designing and testing the questionnaire, facilitating the focus group discussions, organising the festival programmes, and preparing and moderating the final conference. Through this process they gained practical experience in research support, communication, event organisation, moderation and teamwork. Overall, the project aimed to contribute simultaneously to the personal development and media awareness of young people, to the strengthening of their civic engagement, and to the creation of a professionally sound research output. The long-term intention was that the outcomes of the project should remain useful beyond its formal duration, and could be applied in educational, professional and policy-making contexts at local, national and European levels. Documentation: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iXtlWNKkQT_9tTahVyNErZ1frQFNcEdt?usp=drive_link