Paloma: “When we protect our well-being, we lead with clarity and hope”

The digital world can be difficult to navigate, especially for young people. While it promises connection and belonging, it is full of risks, including potential harassment and violence.

On World Kindness Day, activist Paloma Navarro Candia, 19, from Argentina, shares how she’s protecting herself online, with the support of Amnesty International’s new workbook, Staying Resilient While Trying to Save the World Vol. 3.

The promise of a digital future still leaves behind those who need it most. My goal is to ensure that all children and adolescents can access and grow within safe, equitable, and sustainable digital spaces because digital transformation must also be a human transformation.

I was 11 when I discovered Amino, a social network that promised connection and belonging. At first, it felt like a refuge, but soon I saw how unsafe it could be. There was bullying, no real content moderation, and strangers much older than me sending inappropriate messages. My parents wanted to help, but they didn’t know how to.

The digital world was still new, confusing, and full of risks. That experience shaped my activism: it showed me that the Internet doesn’t change on its own, it needs people who question, humanize, and rebuild it.

For me, working for digital rights means creating spaces where technology amplifies possibilities to learn and participate without fear. As technology evolves, our rights must evolve too.

Digital rights in Argentina

In Argentina, young people face intertwined structural inequalities. Access to technology is still unequal, especially in rural or low-income areas. Many depend on public Wi-Fi or shared devices to study. And while misinformation and online violence continues to circulate and spread, the policies needed to address these risks are lagging behind.

The lack of comprehensive sex education leaves many adolescents vulnerable to misinformation about their rights and relationships, while hate speech and adultcentrism continue to silence youth voices. Economic instability only deepens this crisis, shaping our (lack of) opportunities.

Recently, my work on Nuestro Voto Cuenta (“Our Vote Counts”), a campaign on youth voting and disinformation supporting first-time voters across Argentina, revealed how hate speech and online hostility often discourage young people from participating in public life. Many of us also fall into cycles of misinformation fuelled by the addictive nature of social media. For activists, this reality is even more intense, constant exposure to distressing news leaves emotional traces that are hard to erase.

Teaching digital empathy

One of my main concerns is how the Internet affects our emotional well-being: the pressure to be constantly available, the new forms of violence in digital spaces, and the exposure to hate all shape how we see ourselves. Many of my friends have faced harassment, body shaming, or manipulation online. I’ve seen how these experiences silently damage self-esteem, trust and fuel shame. That’s why I believe we must not only teach digital literacy but also digital empathy, because the Internet should connect us and care for us by design.

I’ve learned that activism must include rest because caring for others begins with caring for yourself.

Paloma Navarro Candia

Being a young activist today is both empowering and exhausting. Information never stops, and the pressure to act, post, and respond can be overwhelming. There’s a constant sense of not doing enough.

I’ve learned that activism must include rest because caring for others begins with caring for yourself. Protecting mental health isn’t a luxury; it’s what makes long-term change possible. Activism is a marathon, not a sprint. When we protect our well-being, we lead with clarity, empathy and hope. For me, this means setting digital boundaries, learning to disconnect without guilt, and trusting others. Writing helps me process emotions and reminds me why I started.

Staying resilient

One of the projects closest to my heart is Staying Resilient While Trying to Save the World Vol. 3, a workbook created by and for young changemakers. It’s a companion that reminds us how emotional sustainability is part of activism. I contributed a chapter on Internet and mental health, exploring how digital environments influence our emotions. Social media can be overwhelming, but it also offers space to connect, create and find support. I wrote another chapter on gender-based digital violence based on the inspiring case of Olimpia, to show how to stay safe online, set boundaries, and understand that the Internet is not neutral – it shapes how we connect and how we heal.

Young people should read the new workbook Staying Resilient While Trying to Save The World, Vol 3, because it’s tailored to under 18s and reminds us that we’re not alone. Resilience isn’t about enduring everything, it’s about finding strength in connection. It invites activists to be honest about their struggles, to set limits, and to keep fighting with kindness toward others and toward themselves. When used with empathy and awareness, technology can amplify connection instead of division. Digital citizenship isn’t just about being online; it’s about participating with kindness, learning from one another, and building a more just, compassionate world together.

Connecting children with human rights leaders

Amnesty International has played a key role in empowering young activists like me. It offers tools, mentorship, and global networks that help transform ideas into real impact. Through training in campaign strategy and advocacy, Amnesty connects children, adolescents and youth with experienced human rights leaders and ensures that our voices aren’t just heard, they’re trusted. I believe in the power of alliances that cross borders, in the voices that multiply when they work together, and in futures built with empathy, knowledge, and shared purpose.

Over time, I’ve learned that leadership isn’t about having the loudest voice, it’s about active listening. My conviction is simple: ideas only matter when they become action and action only transforms when it begins with dialogue.

Staying Resilient While Trying To Save The World, Volume 1 and Volume 2 are also available to read.