Young people should be given a “digital vaccination” of access to technology and digital skills that ensures they are not susceptible to misinformation and to help close the digital divide
A new report published today by Child of the North and Anne Longfield’s Centre for Young Lives think tank, “An evidence-based plan for upskilling our children and young people for digital futures”, puts forward new proposals for digital upskilling, and highlights new innovations to close a digital divide which is holding back the life chances of millions of children in the UK.
The report calls for evidence based approaches that can help children navigate digital content critically and responsibly.
It is the seventh in a series of Child of the North/Centre for Young Lives reports published in 2024 focusing on how the new Government can put the life chances of young people at the heart of policy making and delivery.
The report sets out how the UK’s digital landscape is an uneven playing field for children and young people and warns that millions of children are being left behind because they don’t have regular access to the technology and skills that they need to make the best use of digital devices and spaces in a responsible and creative way.
In a world where technological advances are increasingly rapid, and where Artificial Intelligence is set to have a profound impact on employment and future economies, the report highlights the huge economic costs of failing to close the digital divide. A lack of digital skills and literacy can also leave children more open to the risks of disinformation, fake news, and other online harms.
Evidence and case studies featured in the report suggest that many children are already making use of digital devices and spaces in a responsible and creative way – but that millions of others are denied that opportunity through lack of access, resources, and skills development. Some of the causes of digital exclusion include unaffordable costs of connectivity and devices, and a lack of training and exposure to digital analytical and technical skills.
The report warns that current constraints on teachers’ time and the lack of structured support for Continuing Professional Development is hindering their ability to stay updated with digital advancements, affecting the quality of digital education provided to students.
It also calls for new Government guidance to manage screen time effectively and mitigate potential harms, including ‘fake news’.
It argues that current approaches to keeping children safe online often lack consistency and comprehensiveness, particularly in integrating digital literacy with traditional sex education.
The report recommends much earlier intervention and consistent educational programmes, starting from a young age and continuing through adolescence. It highlights the recent work of the Digital Futures Commission as a foundation on which the government could and should build.
Anne Longfield, Executive Chair of the Centre for Young Lives, said:
“Children are growing up digital but we are not giving them the technology and skills they need to make the most of the opportunities it brings or protection they need to navigate the online world safely. Technology and the internet provide access to a world of opportunity and are now a crucial part of childhood and our futures.
“The recent outbreaks of violence in England have shown the consequences of disinformation and its impact on the real world. It is crucial that we develop more effective ways of preventing children and young people from being exposed to fake news and vaccinate them against its dangers.
“That means providing children with the digital skills they need, providing teachers with the time and training to keep up to date with digital advancement, and ensuring children are learning about disinformation and other potential online harms from an early age.
“We also need to equip children for the digital world they live in. Four in ten children do not have either home broadband or a laptop or desktop computer. This is not just a problem that happened during Covid. This ongoing digital divide is still leaving behind millions of children, which can have profound implications for their educational outcomes and future employment prospects.
“We need to be far more creative and much bolder about how we close the digital divide and improve access to tech and learning.
“We can’t hope to achieve the aim of becoming a world-beating economy with a well-trained and well-educated workforce for as long as a substantial number of young people are shut out of the digital world.”
