Health, Privacy, and Trust in a Digital World:
What do Children & Young People Think?
When it comes to growing up surrounded by digital technology, there are no greater experts than children and young people today. While educators, parents, policymakers, and the media may speculate about the benefits and harms of specific apps, games, or the latest trend – only children know what it feels like to grow up surrounded by digital technology. Children also have a right to have their views heard, as enshrined within the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Unicef UK spoke to a group of 19 children and young people in the summer of 2019 to hear what they think about health, privacy, and trust in a digital world.
These discussions fed into a global consultation developed and coordinated by Western Sydney University, 5Rights Foundation and the London School of Economics and Political Science to feed into the drafting of a new General Comment by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child on ‘Children’s Rights and the Digital Environment’.
So, what did they say?
Below are a few highlights. You can also download the report.
It’s not all bad – but it’s not all good, either
When asked about healthy and unhealthy uses of technology, participants shared many examples of both. From worries about impact on ‘confidence and self-esteem’ to the ability to access new information effortlessly – technology clearly brings many benefits as well as risks.
Privacy is not dead
It’s easy to assume that children do not care about what happens to their data and who has access to it – or that they’re tired of hearing about the latest scandal. There was no indication of such indifference during our workshops, where participants made it very clear that ‘digital rights are human rights’ and voiced many concerns about their privacy online.
Make it simple
Despite a desire to take more control of their data, we heard that the complexity of the ecosystem can quickly make this seem like an impossible task. While participants had many questions about how their data is used and what protections are in place, they also acknowledged that ‘we’re not educated enough to know if this is enough’.
Companies don’t inspire trust
When we asked participants who they trust most to help them have good experiences with technology, the significant difference between those most trusted (parents) and those least trusted (advertisers) quickly became apparent (see graphic). The mistrust in corporate actors seemed most related to suspicions around how personal data is monetised, and whether it can be used to manipulate thoughts and feelings.
Do something!
Far from feeling defeated by the scale of the task, participants had clear ideas of the kinds of changes they would like to see – spanning ‘more legislation especially for under 18s’, to greater transparency, and more power to decide what happens to their data.
As technology evolves, so will its impact on children’s lives. As such, listening and acting on children’s own perspectives will remain critical to ensure that the services, legal protections, and decisions that are made on their behalf truly protect and support their rights in a digital age.