
The 1420Hz Voice of Children — Children Are Not Only Listening to You, But Would Like to Voice Out
A report entirely led by children, voicing out to the world with Shou Luo
While the Summer vacation is around the corner, and the COVID-19 is receding yet not vanished, lots of children spend the holidays online. Did you know that the digital world is more than online games and watching viral videos of social media influencers; it is as well, a channel for children to make a change to our society? Starting last year, the Child Welfare League Foundation (CWLF) established a public policy platform — 1420Hz Platform for children to voice out, providing a safe place online for adolescents from 14 years old to 20 years old to voice out their opinions. On the platform, children can seek for their like-minded friends to discuss issues of their interests; there is also a drafting mechanism established for youngsters so that they can voice up for themselves, knowing that they have the power to make a change. With the platform, youngsters learn to “be themselves” on the path where they learn their independence, cultivate their critical thinking and practice to speak up for matters affecting them. There have been over 2,431 adolescents signing up to the platform, drafting 41 proposals, and accumulating over 37 thousand clicks. With the aim of calling for more adolescents of 14 to 20 years old to speak up on the platform, the CWLF invited Shou Luo — a member of WOLF(S), a chart-topping band popular among young people, as the celebrity ambassador. Using his appealingness as an influencer to urge young children in front of the screen to stand out and voice up for themselves and believe that using their own power to make changes to the world can be a hip.
The most significant part of this press conference is that it is led and delivered by youngsters, the CWLF has invited adolescent representative Huai-Min and Xiang-Jun to take the significant task. One of whom is from northern Taiwan, and the other, southern; and one representing the cities while the other, townships. Both were proactively and passionately participating in public affairs when at school. In the meantime, both are intrigued to be given the chance to take this task, who stated that the CWLF's ground-breaking innovative approach of letting children to take the front line and advocate initiatives for themselves, is doubtlessly, an affirmation of their capability.
Over half of youngsters considered their thoughts not included in policies affecting them
As the approaching of the digital era, there seem to be more and more online platforms for youngsters to express thoughts and communicate, exchange their perspectives toward issues. However, these voices are available only in children’s filter bubbles, not efficiently received by the wider population, nor the society. This year (2022), the CWLF conducted a survey of how children express their thoughts to 7th to 9th grade junior-high-schoolers and 1st to 3rd grade senior-high school students. Using stratified cluster random sampling to draw the objects for this survey, a total of 1,336 responses were collected, with a response rate of 78.95%, a confidence level of 95%, and the total survey error less than ±2.68%. Within the sample structure, 60.8% of which are junior-high-schoolers; 39.2% are senior-high students. The result showed that over seventy percent (71.1%) of students aged 13-18 discuss social events with their friends and family; furthermore, over fifty percent (51%) of students considered that their opinions were excluded by the government while policies upon children related were being made. The result shows that many children were passionate about social development issues and public issues and eager to speak up, but there are sadly no channels where their voice could be heard. Furthermore, the percentage of those who worry about being criticised or excluded from peer groups for expressing thoughts were 5 percent higher (37.2%) than statistics five years ago, which shows the fact that the pressure and fingers pointed from elders and peers discouraged the youngsters from speaking out.
The CWLF phrased that according to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the children’s Right to Be Heard is often interpreted literally and thus misinterpreted as giving children the right to challenge and disobey the authorities, including instructions of parents and teachers, yet what it truly means is to defend “the right for children to express their views, and for their opinions to be heard and further taken into consideration.” For long under Confucianism influence, Taiwan emphasises the importance that one should respect the teachers and follow their lectures, where children are regarded as immature individuals incapable of critical thinking, and that leads policy makers to constantly plan from adults’ perspectives and mindsets, depriving children of participation in the social development and the chance to practice the critical thinking skills.
From physical to digital, CWLF encourages youngsters to speak out, putting children’s right to be heard in practice
Since 2014 when Taiwanese law makers incorporated the CRC in domestic law, the CWLF has been dedicating to put children’s right to be heard in practice, giving children their rights to express their opinions upon policies affecting themselves. For instance, the Centennial National Conference on Child and Youth, year 2018 empowerment project introducing the CRC to child and youth representatives from northern, central and southern Taiwan and later submitted their opinions to authorities via policy white paper, year 2019 consultation as mock legislator to the Legislative Yuan and government officials, and year 2020 empowerment project for 60 children and youngsters as the first group of Central Child and Youth Delegation.
Starting in 2021, the CWLF established the first children and youth public policy platform, inviting youngsters of 14 to 20 years old to give voice of their own toward issues on social welfare, education, physical and mental health, recreational environments, internet using…etc. We continue to motivate youngsters to get involved in social issues and to stimulate their skills of independent thinking. Other than communicating different perspectives, putting personal opinions into proposal drafts. Once the proposal gained over a hundred people to second online, the CWLF will submit it to the legislators as policy white paper, brining their opinions onto the table of discussion. This year (2022), we initiated an Instagram community (bibibobo.tw), combining the most popular social media platform and a witty and creative tone to interact with youngsters. Also, we recruited a group of high-school volunteers to be the content creators, inviting youngsters of great minds to join the marketing group and learn to express oneself with the help of influential social media.
The youth ambassador Shou Luo is inviting all to make your younghood count and make good things happen
Shou Luo expressed his honour to participate in the conference and praised theCWLF’s establishment of the platform which gives students a place where they can voice up and make a change. He also quoted about the restriction on hairstyles that “If I could go back to when I was a student, I would hope to lower the restriction. Back then, the restrictions were harsh, where your hair length must not exceed the length of a finger. I transferred to another school, where the regulations were not as harsh, but my grades and behaviours were never affected, proving that the restrictions were not necessary.” As the ambassador, Luo especially went on the 1420Hz platform to read the proposals drafted by youngsters and he shared about one subject that caught his attention, being “The search for contrabands at schools.” Lou shared his own experience: “When I was a student, someone would come into the classroom when students were not there to search for forbidden items. Sometimes students later find their mobile phone stolen, or your personal messages read by adults without your permission. There should be more discussions regarding similar conducts.”
Lastly, Lou mentioned that “We, adults have been away from schools for quite some time, making it hard for us to speak in youngsters’ shoes.” He urged more adolescents to stand up and use the platform to voice for yourself upon issues of your concern. “Youngsters could join the 1420Hz Voice of Children platform to speak up; and adults could also visit the platform to understand what concerns children.”
The Child Welfare League Foundation sincerely welcome all youngsters of age 14 to 20 to join the “1420Hz Voice of Children” platform. Sign up now to receive a free limited edition of Shou Luo backdrop, and an exclusive avatar given to youngsters of 14-20 years old after the identification verification. If you invite people to sign up through the promo code you can also have Luo’s avatar to come to your own planet (your station). Also, send your screenshot photo of this event to the Instagram community bibibobo.com, and you can have the chance to win Airpods in our lucky draw. For all Taiwanese youngsters, a sincere welcome for you to participate and express your opinions on issues in your life and your points of view upon children policies. The change of your life for the better starts here by yourself.
1420Hz Voice of Children platform: https://www.1420hz.org.tw/
Instagram community bibibobo.tw: https://www.instagram.com/bibibobo.tw/