Putting young people at the heart of digital policy

As a young boy I loved watching sci-fi – Star Trek was a favorite of mine, with its futuristic technology like communicators, tablet computers, tricorders and replicators. A small part of me always hoped that the technology would become real, but I don’t think I could imagine just how real it would become.

Today we live in a world where mobile phones and tablets are fundamental to many of our lives, where sensors to scan the environment like the tricorder are everywhere, and 3D printers are remarkably similar to the replicators that captured my imagination as a child.

It makes you wonder, what are young people imagining today, that will become the reality of tomorrow?

Young people today have never known a world without technology. It is intrinsic to their lives and identities. And as technology develops faster than ever before, it is vital that we listen to them, and involve them in the discussions and decisions that will ultimately affect their futures.

Around the world it is remarkable to see young people using technology to take on local and global challenges – from climate change to rising inequalities to the growing mental health crisis. And the mobile industry, we have a key role to play in empowering them to keep using technology for good, while also making sure we do everything we can to minimize the risks they face online.

Konstantinos Papachristou, internet safety specialist and youth empowerment advocate, who participated in a panel at MWC Barcelona earlier this year, reminds us that “Young people are active users of digital services, and their perspectives must be integral not only to the policy process but also to the design of products and services. A child-centred and safety-by-design approach in technological development is the only way to ensure both inclusivity and safety in innovation”

As an industry, we are working hard to achieve this:

• Through the GSMA Mobile Alliance to combat Digital Child Sexual Exploitation, we are working with mobile operator Alliance members to provide leadership to the global mobile community as well as to collaborate with key national and international stakeholders to enable a coordinated response to digitally-facilitated child sexual exploitation and abuse.
• Through our mPower Youth Initiative, we are working with mobile operators to ensure mobile technology can be used to uphold and promote a full range of children’s rights – including the right to an identity, the right to access information and education and the right to enjoy leisure and freedom of expression.
• We are also looking to include young people in discussions on the future of the industry. We recently collaborated with Participation People to bring 15 young people to the GSMA offices to spend a day working with child rights experts and mobile operator members to share their perspectives on engaging with and listening to young people’s views on the business of connectivity.
• And later this year we look forward to launching a resource on Youth Participation, which will help empower businesses with insights and good practice to support them on their journeys to engaging with young people in their decision making.

As technology continues to evolve more rapidly than ever before, I believe the insights and perspectives of young people will be the secret weapon that sets apart the organisations that thrive and those that fail.

?And so as an industry, we must challenge ourselves to keep listening, to keep understanding and to keep involving young people in the decisions we make to ensure that we are building a better future for young people everywhere.

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To find out more about GSMA’s work for children and young people visit: gsma.com/solutions-and-impact/connectivity-for-good/public-policy/mpower-youth/