Digital inclusion starts with listening to young people

When we talk about keeping young people safe online, the conversation often focuses on what adults need to do to protect them. We talk about restricting access, managing screen time, tackling harmful content, and teaching young people how to recognise scams and misinformation.

These are important conversations. But I think we're missing something fundamental. What if, instead of focusing solely on protecting rangatahi from the challenges of the digital world, we put more trust in their ability to help solve them?

Because the young people navigating these challenges every day have valuable insights into what needs to change. In my experience, when we give rangatahi the opportunity, resources and confidence to lead, they come up with solutions that make a real difference for their communities.

A generation navigating an increasingly complex digital world

New research from Te Rourou, One Aotearoa Foundation, the Brainbox Institute and One New Zealand, Connected Rangatahi: Digital Inclusion in the Age of AI,  reinforces just how important this shift in thinking is. This explored the experiences of young people across Aotearoa, looking at what digital inclusion means in a world where technology, particularly artificial intelligence, is evolving rapidly.

What we heard was both encouraging and challenging. For rangatahi, being digitally connected is essential. It's how they learn, find employment, access services, explore their interests and maintain relationships with whānau and friends.

But being connected doesn't necessarily mean feeling safe, confident or empowered. Rangatahi told us about the challenges of navigating online bullying, scams, misinformation and harmful content. The rapid emergence of generative AI is adding another layer of complexity, making it increasingly difficult to know what information, images and interactions can be trusted.

Yet what stood out to me wasn't simply the challenges they described. It was their ability to recognise these issues, adapt their behaviour and think critically about potential solutions. These aren't passive users of technology waiting for someone else to figure things out.

They're active participants in the digital world, with perspectives and ideas that deserve to be taken seriously. And they want to be part of the decisions shaping their digital future.

We've seen what happens when we trust rangatahi to lead

At Te Rourou, we've learned that meaningful youth participation requires more than asking young people for their opinions. It means creating opportunities for them to influence decisions, shape investment and lead solutions that respond to the needs of their communities.

Our five-year Invercargill Initiative is an example of what this can look like in practice. Through this place-based initiative, we've worked alongside communities in Waihōpai Invercargill and Motupōhue Bluff to reduce the barriers that prevent rangatahi from thriving.

Rather than arriving with a predetermined set of solutions, we started by listening. We asked rangatahi about their aspirations, the challenges they faced and what they believed would make the biggest difference. Those insights helped shape our approach to investing in the community, building relationships with local organisations and supporting initiatives grounded in what young people actually need.

One example is the Rangatahi Māori Fund, Te Ōhaka Tīwhera, which put decision-making power into the hands of rangatahi Māori to support kaupapa that matter to them and their communities. It's a different approach to traditional philanthropy. Rather than adults deciding what young people need, rangatahi have the opportunity to determine priorities and influence where resources go.

That experience builds more than leadership skills. It creates ownership, confidence and a sense of agency. Most importantly, it recognises that rangatahi bring knowledge, creativity and lived experience that adults and institutions don't always have.

From participation to creating real opportunities

We've seen the same potential through our partnership with Your Corps, an Invercargill-based organisation using technology and innovation to create opportunities for young people.

Through the Invercargill Initiative, we've supported Your Corps to grow its impact, helping more rangatahi access practical digital learning experiences, develop technical skills and explore pathways into education and employment. 

Our partnership is also helping bring a new youth-focused technology hub to South Invercargill, as part of the under-construction Grace Street Project, creating a welcoming space where young people can connect, learn, experiment and build confidence.

What makes this work important isn't simply access to technology. It's the opportunity for rangatahi to move from being consumers of technology to becoming confident creators, problem-solvers and contributors to their communities.

When young people have access to the right tools, trusted relationships and opportunities to develop their skills, we start to see what's possible. And that's a lesson we should be applying much more widely as we consider how to respond to the challenges of AI and online safety.

Digital inclusion must mean more than access

For a long time, conversations about digital inclusion have understandably focused on connectivity and devices. Those things remain fundamental. We cannot expect rangatahi to participate fully in society if they cannot afford reliable internet access or the technology they need.

But our research shows that digital inclusion in the age of AI must go further. And we saw this through our participation in Net Safety Week this year. It's also about whether young people have the skills to navigate an increasingly complex environment, the confidence to question what they encounter online, and the ability to influence the technologies and systems shaping their lives.

This requires a change in how we approach digital safety. Of course, technology companies, government, educators and parents have responsibilities to create safer digital environments. Those responsibilities cannot simply be handed to young people.

But we also need to recognise that solutions developed without rangatahi risk overlooking the realities of how they experience the online world. If we're developing online safety initiatives, digital education programmes, AI policies or new technologies aimed at young people, we should be asking a simple question: Have rangatahi had a meaningful role in shaping this?

Not just through a survey or consultation after the important decisions have already been made. But from the beginning, with opportunities to contribute ideas, challenge assumptions, and influence outcomes.

The next generation should help shape what's next

One of the biggest lessons I've taken from our work in Invercargill is that communities already hold enormous potential to solve the challenges they face. Our role isn't always to arrive with the answers. Sometimes it's to create the conditions for others to find them. That means listening, building trust, investing for the long term and being willing to share decision-making power.

As AI continues to transform how we learn, work and interact, these principles are becoming even more important. We need to equip rangatahi with the skills and confidence to navigate digital challenges. But we also need to recognise their potential to shape the solutions.

Imagine what could happen if more technology companies invited young people into product development, if policymakers involved rangatahi in designing online safety approaches, or if more investment went towards youth-led digital innovation. We could create solutions that are not only more relevant to young people's experiences, but also strengthen their confidence, capability and connection to their communities.

At Te Rourou, we've seen the difference that trusting rangatahi can make. Now we need to take that thinking beyond individual programmes and communities.

Because the future of technology belongs to the next generation. They deserve more than a voice in the conversation. They deserve a hand in building it.