In a world where young people are constantly connected (with 99% of 16- to 25-year-olds using social media daily) the internet should be a space for opportunity, learning, and community. Yet, online risks, from privacy concerns to digital exclusion, continue to grow. With Safer Internet Day this month, we must ask: are we truly listening to young people when shaping the digital world?
And as professionals, are we doing enough to include them?
Children’s Rights in the Digital Age: More Than Just Protection
Every child has the right to be safe online, but safety alone isn’t enough.
The digital world is where young people learn, socialise, and express themselves. Yet, their voices are often missing from conversations that shape these spaces. Decisions about tech policies, social media algorithms, and online safety measures frequently exclude those they impact most.
When young people are sidelined, digital environments fail to meet their needs. This leaves them vulnerable to harm or disengaged from platforms meant to empower them. If we want to build a safer, more inclusive internet, we must recognise young people as experts in their own digital experiences – not just passive users of technology.
The Power of Youth Engagement in Digital Spaces
This is where youth engagement becomes a game-changer.
Professor Laura Lundy’s model of participation provides a framework for embedding youth voices in decision-making. It ensures young people have the space to express their views, their voices are heard, and decision-makers act on their insights. Applying this approach to digital spaces shifts the focus from merely protecting young people to empowering them to shape the platforms and policies that affect them.
When young people influence social media guidelines, co-design safer tech, and advocate for stronger data protections, they help create an internet that serves them – not just regulates them.
How We Embed Youth Participation in Digital Innovation
At Participation People, youth engagement is at the heart of everything we do – both online and offline. We collaborate with young people, decision-makers, and organisations to co-create digital spaces that centre youth voices.
One example is our partnership with Vodafone Group. We’re hosting a youth hackathon series to co-create a Global Youth Charter on safer tech. This project brings together young people from diverse backgrounds, empowering them to tackle the biggest challenges in digital spaces and develop real-world solutions. Their insights won’t just spark conversation – they’ll help shape future tech policies. This proves that when young people have space, voice, and influence, real change follows.
But this is just one piece of the puzzle.
Across all our projects, we help organisations recognise young people as digital experts. After all, no one understands the realities of growing up online better than they do.
Building a Digital Future That Works for Young People
The internet isn’t going anywhere, and neither are the challenges young people face. But by working with young people, not just for them, we can design technology that meets their needs, respects their rights, and reflects their experiences.
Want to create digital spaces that are safer, smarter, and built with young people at the centre? Let’s collaborate to embed youth voice in your tech strategies and create a future that truly works for them.
