The use of social media is widespread nowadays, especially among young people. Social media platforms collect data on users, including their habits, preferences, and sometimes even location, which can be exploited for targeted advertising or sold to third parties. This can lead to privacy breaches, identity theft, or cyberbullying. Additionally, personal data shared online may be permanent, potentially affecting future opportunities like college admissions or job prospects. Despite being digital natives, many young people are unaware that their data is being compiled, and others are not fully aware of the privacy and security risks associated with sharing their information. While some claim not to care, believing they have nothing to hide, others feel powerless to take action. Most existing research has focused on the prevalence of social media use and its consequences, but there has been less attention on young people's understanding of their digital rights and two key related questions: 1. Does this understanding shape their social media choices and behaviour? 2. Would greater awareness change those choices for the safer? To address these two questions, this study takes the form of a two-stage experiment. Question 1 is addressed via a classic conjoint experiment examining the preferences of young people in selecting social media platforms. All respondents will be presented with a series of choices between two hypothetical social media apps with a different set of features randomly assigned from a set list of attributes. We will explore whether different app features related to protecting their personal data and online security —such as privacy settings, open source code or proprietary software — impact young users’ decisions or if they would, if given the option. Participants will be blocked by age group to assess whether preferences differ across subgroups within this demographic. Question 2 is addressed in a prior stage via a simple informational treatment. The control half of the sample will proceed directly to the conjoint but a treatment group will first be given key information about digital privacy, safety and security when using social media. The key question is whether such privacy and security concerns are then primed into greater importance at the conjoint stage. The study will thus not only assess young people’s awareness of their digital rights and the implications of sharing personal data online and their digital rights, but also assess the effectiveness of educational interventions in generating informed decisions.