A joint report published today by Child of the North and Anne Longfield’s Centre for Young Lives think tank explores a digital divide which is holding back the life chances of millions of children in the UK and proposes an evidence-based plan to upskill the nation’s young people.
The report – An evidence-based plan for upskilling our children and young people for digital futures – warns that ‘digital exclusion’ is leaving many children behind and calls for a ‘digital vaccination’ to tackle fake news and disinformation.
This is the seventh report in a series by Child of the North – led by the N8 Research Partnership and Health Equity North – and the Centre for Young Lives that are being published throughout 2024. Each publication focuses on how the Government can put the life chances of young people at the heart of policy making and delivery.
The UK’s digital landscape is explored in the report, which details the scale and impact across society of children not having regular access to technology and the skills to capitalise on digital devices. This is evidenced by the fact that:
- 42% of young people (approx. 6 million) do not have access to either home broadband or a laptop/desktop computer.
- By 2030, 5 million workers will be under-skilled in basic digital capabilities, while 75% of young people feel they lack the necessary skills to thrive.
- Participation in IT subjects at GCSE level has dropped by 40% since 2015.
- 1 million people have either cut back or cancelled their internet packages due to financial constraints
- Approximately 2.4 million (21%) of people from the lowest socioeconomic backgrounds do not use the internet at home.
- 12% of the population in the North East of England are classified as internet non-users, compared to 7% in London.
- Digital skills shortages are estimated to cost the UK £65bn each year.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted many digital skills related issues. The report’s analysis found that during the pandemic, one in five children lacked access to a suitable device for home study.
The economic costs of the current digital divide are outlined in the report, with rapid technological advances such as Artificial Intelligence on course to have a significant impact on employment and future economies.
The report also examines how a lack of digital skills and literacy can leave children exposed to the risks of disinformation, fake news, and other online harms. It calls for new Government guidance to manage screen time effectively and mitigate potential harms, with much earlier intervention and consistent educational programmes recommended. The recent work of the Digital Futures Commission is suggested as a foundation on which the government should build.
To futureproof the digital skills of children and young people, and improve their life chances by enabling them to critically and responsibly navigate digital content, the report puts forward a series of evidence-based policy recommendations. Based on extensive research undertaken across the North of England by Child of the North, these recommendations include:
- Establishing a “Minimum Digital Living Standards” framework, including subsidised digital access to ensure that every household has the digital infrastructure necessary for effective participation.
- Enhancing digital inclusivity in schools through Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to ensure educators stay up to date with digital advancements.
- Creating a national Digital Creativity “Skills Commons” to foster cross-sectional partnerships and network development.
The report highlights forward-thinking projects in the North of England that are boosting children’s access to the internet and their digital skills.
Read the full report – An evidence-based plan for upskilling our children and young people for digital futures
Find out more about the A country that works for all children and young people series
Anne Longfield, Executive Chair of the Centre for Young Lives, said:
“Technology and the internet provide access to a world of opportunity and are a crucial part of childhood and our futures. However, we are not giving children the technology and skills they need to make the most of the opportunities that digital devices provide or the protection they need to safely navigate the online world.
“The recent outbreaks of violence in England illustrate the consequences of disinformation and its real world impact. 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, teaching them about disinformation and other potential online harms from an early age and providing teachers with training to ensure their skills stay up to date.
“We also need to equip children for the digital world, as four in ten do not have either home broadband or a laptop or desktop computer. This is not just a problem that happened during Covid but is an ongoing digital divide that is leaving behind millions of children, affecting their educational outcomes and future employment prospects. We can’t hope to become a world-beating economy with a well-trained, well-educated workforce while many young people are shut out of the digital world.”
Dr Camilla Kingdon, former President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said:
“The Technology Revolution is likely to bring the greatest changes to how we live and work since the Industrial Revolution. The opportunities are potentially incredible. However, the truest and deepest impact will only be realised if our entire population is ready and skilled to embrace the changes and reap the rewards.
“This Report outlines the existing digital inequalities which are now deeply entrenched amongst children, especially those growing up in poverty, as well as stark geographical discrepancies. Crucially, the Report makes a series of recommendations and showcases work that is already successfully tackling this problem. I commend this report to our new government and hope that they will urgently work to equip children with the skills to safely take advantage of the vital opportunities the digital world offers.”
Professor Mark Mon Williams, Child of The North report series editor, said:
“The prosperity of countries will increasingly depend on their ability to harness the digital revolution, and this needs a workforce with the necessary technological skills. Upskilling the next generation will also protect them against nefarious actors in the online world and create a population who can distil useful facts and discard misinformation. This report lays out the evidence for the new government so that they can work with and through education settings to ‘digitally vaccinate’ the next generation and ensure all children and young people have the skills required for the jobs of the future.”
Professor Jennifer Rowsell and Dr Ryan Bramley, from the University of Sheffield’s School of Education, and Executive Report editors, said:
“The age of AI, data literacies, and the platformisation of education is upon us and children and young people must be able to navigate their digital lives critically and safely. The Child of the North and Centre for Young Lives report gives a detailed picture of digital inequalities in the UK with new proposals and strategies for changes to education and inspiring research spotlights.”
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