The second of our Social Media Week events took a look at the risks for people and brands when communicating online while also showing some brilliant examples of the positive ways in which young people in particular can make use of digital technology.

Liberty842 co-founder Daisy Cresswell was first to speak, highlighting how social media professionals should take responsibility for ‘educating those less aware’ of the implications of sharing information and opinions online – especially young people. We heard from a couple of teenagers (from the video posted below) about their experiences of using social media, getting a sense of their attitudes to different platforms and finding out about the issues they face – including an example of a potential employer checking one of the girls’ Facebook profiles.

Speaking about how social media etiquette applies to brands, Daisy said that having a plan and clear brief from the start of the project is essential, no matter what the subject area, and that establishing guidelines is necessary to enable successful management of communities and content on the channels you’re using.

Providing an overview of the legal considerations for social media content was Gateley LLP Media Partner Lisa Logan who referred to some of the high-profile cases from the past year – most notably the ASA adjudication on Nike’s Make It Count campaign involving Wayne Rooney and Jack Wilshere – to point out why your plans should always take the law into account. She was joined by Senior Associate at Gateley LLP Sarah Fitzgibbons who summarised the role injunctions play in a digital environment and explained how information and social media accounts themselves can be subject to ownership disputes.

Illustrating the huge opportunities that digital technology offers to future generations, Stimulation Ltd Social Media Strategist Tiffany St James talked about just a few of the innovations inspired and, in some cases, created by young people. These included projects from Young Rewired State – such as ASBOrometer and mobile interfaces for Refugees United – as well as Maily – a drawing-based email app for children. Though the outlook is very positive, she warned us that setting a good example is essential, saying ‘If grown-ups can’t get it right, what hope is there for kids?’

Last speaker of the evening was Think’s Head of Creative Strategy, James Deeley, who promised 10 insights in 10 minutes (or thereabouts) but gave us plenty more than that to go away with. He used Pottermore as an example of how social media projects should work with existing communities and not try to replace them. He also offered some fascinating insights into devices (not just a fourth but a fifth screen!) and audience behaviour, encouraging us to consider how we can work with existing channels and truly engage with fan networks instead of trying to take control of them.

Thanks to everyone who came along to this event and to our ‘The good, the bad and the ugly’ session. Stay in touch with the speakers by following @842Daisy, @Liberty842, @GateleyLLP, @TiffanyStJames and @JJDeeleyThinks.