By Jacqueline Beauchere and Cees van Koppen 

At Snap, we know that safer and healthier digital experiences are built by listening to the people who navigate them every day. That’s why we created our Council for Digital Well-Being (CDWB) program: to bring teens into the conversation, and hear directly from them about their lived experiences and what it means to them to truly flourish online.

This month’s U.S. CDWB Summit in Santa Monica served as an important starting point for our 2026/2027 cohort, giving teens and their parents and chaperones the opportunity to connect in person and begin building relationships and sharing ideas that will help shape the year ahead. 

From candid conversations and workshops, to guest speakers (like Dr. Dan Reidenberg, Managing Director of the National Council for Suicide Prevention, and Lucy Thomas, Co-founder & CEO, PROJECT ROCKIT), break-out sessions, project work, and “speed mentoring” with Team Snap, the Summit was designed to spark insight, catalyze connection, and drive momentum.

Since launching our inaugural U.S. cohort in 2024, we’ve expanded the program globally with sister Councils in Europe and Australia. Together, all four cohorts reflect our ongoing investment in empowering teens to help build a healthier digital world.

Snap’s newest CDWB Cohort

Today, we’re honored to publicly welcome the 19 members of our 2026/2027 U.S. Council for Digital Well-Being. Over the next year, this group will share perspectives and help inform our thinking around digital well-being and online safety. They will drive vital conversations on the most pressing issues impacting young people online today, from the benefits of reporting risks of online harm and social media bans, to the rapid rise of AI.

The focus on AI arrives at a critical moment. As young people are often the first to integrate new technologies into their daily lives and use them to help shape how they learn, communicate, and build community, their insights are vital for navigating both the opportunities and challenges ahead.

Our CDWB members will participate in discussions, collaborative sessions, and program activities designed to help us better understand what young people need and expect from platforms and digital spaces. 

We’re also deeply grateful to the parents, guardians, and chaperones who support this program and make this engagement possible. Their partnership helps create the kind of thoughtful, multi-generational dialogue that strengthens the CDWB experience and enriches the work ahead.

Please join us in welcoming our 2026/2027 U.S. Council for Digital Well-Being members: