UNICEF - From Children’s Voices to Action

WORKING PAPER From Children’s Voices to Action A youth-led roadmap to realize the best interests of children in the digital environment March 202 6From Children ’ s Voices to Action

2 Executive summary This paper presents both the perspectives of children — captured through direct consultations — and the insights of adolescents and youth — generated through a participatory foresight process, all conducted by UNICEF. Together, these complementary voices highlig ht not only what children are saying about their futures, but also how young people analyze, interpret, envision, and contextualize these futures. The f indings Many youth participants were struck by the clarity, honesty, and awareness evident in the reflections of children from around the world on the digital environment. Across regions and age groups, children demonstrated profound insight into how the digital w orld works — and how it doesn’t work for them. This is shaping a generation of children who are growing up with these technologies in profound and unforeseen ways. The p resent s ystem Children and young people alike expressed high levels of frustration with an illusion of control in digital spaces. Issues like limited user choice, data exploitation, inappropriate content, gaps in age verification, and more were exacerbated by a widespre ad lack of rights awareness and a failure of institutions to prioritize the protection of children. The systems currently in place often fail to protect, support, or empower them. Yet what also emerges is a strong current of awareness, reflection, and reso lve — from both children and youth. The d igital e nvironment c hildren w ish f or When asked to envisage preferred futures, children imagined a digital world that is inclusive, safe, and empowering. Through youthled synthesis of child consultation data, a shared vision emerged — one in which technology is not only accessible but designed around the best interests of the child; where wellbeing became a design principle; where a culture of shared responsibility

and empowering. Through youthled synthesis of child consultation data, a shared vision emerged — one in which technology is not only accessible but designed around the best interests of the child; where wellbeing became a design principle; where a culture of shared responsibility between children, parents, teachers, corporations and governments had emerged; and both privacy and safety standards were made clea r and understandable to all. The i nnovations and d isruptions with p otential Youth saw great potential in digital literacy becoming a foundational human right; in platforms being reclaimed for selfexpression and advocacy for social change; in emerging technologies at the community level that promote inclusion and equitable access, and in rebalancing responsibility for safety with children and young people included as cogovernors and codesigners. To bring this preferred future about, youth recommended the following steps:From Children ’ s Voices to Action 3 Recommendations

1. Transform digital education through rightsbased literacy Education systems must shift from basic technical skills to a comprehensive understanding of digital rights, data use, and ethical engagement. Education systems need to implement digital and AI literacy program me s that are cocreated with children and youth, moving beyond mechanics to foster a deep understanding of data ethics and digital rights. This educational mandate must be supported by coherent, harmonized legislation at both government and regional levels, clearly defining the responsibilities of pla tforms, regulators, and media.

2. Ensure transparent, ageappropriate platform communication Platform communication must be transparent and ageappropriate, replacing complex legal jargon with clear, engaging language. We must hold developers accountable for effectively explaining the implications of engagement, thereby empowering children to make informed decisions about their online presence. This requires decisionmakers at national, regional, and global levels to establish and enforce strict communication guidelines. Furthermore, platforms must redesign user interfaces to prioritize informed co nsent, ensuring that these standards are regularly evaluated and adjusted

implications of engagement, thereby empowering children to make informed decisions about their online presence. This requires decisionmakers at national, regional, and global levels to establish and enforce strict communication guidelines. Furthermore, platforms must redesign user interfaces to prioritize informed co nsent, ensuring that these standards are regularly evaluated and adjusted in collaboration with the children they are meant to protect. 3. Combat AIgenerated harm through comprehensive safeguards Implement comprehensive safeguards that protect children’s rights to privacy. As deepfakes and deceptive content proliferate, children are left vulnerable while parents are illequipped to respond. We need mandatory labeling of all AIgenerated content to prevent confusion and mitigate harm before it spreads. This must be backed by a judicial system that adapts proactively to technological shifts, ensuring global equity in protection resources. Crucially, we must enforce strong legal consequences for those who use AI to exploit children, ensuring that the technology’s positive potential is not overshadowed by unchecked abuse.

4. Establish a global wellbeing framework To protect vulnerable populations, particularly children and persons with disabilities, we must establish a global wellbeing framework that ensures consistent, standardized safety measures. This

framework could operate on three pillars: • Systemic design that enforces algorithmic accountability to eliminate exploitative advertising; • Strict privacy protocols that prohibit excessive data collection that fuels exploitation; and • Participatory global governance, embedding a dedicated youth network within the multilateral system and establishing binding international targets to ensure that progress in child safety is measurable and enforceable.From Children ’ s Voices to Action 4 5 . St rengthen legal protections and enforcement To ensure accountability, legal frameworks must evolve as rapidly as the technology they govern. We need a system that strengthens protections through tangible enforcement, including strict warnings and sanctions for influencers, advertisers, and marketers who violate child protection standards. This accountability must be codified through mandatory transparency legislation, forcing digital platforms to open their operations to scrutiny rather than hiding behind selfregulation.

We need a system that strengthens protections through tangible enforcement, including strict warnings and sanctions for influencers, advertisers, and marketers who violate child protection standards. This accountability must be codified through mandatory transparency legislation, forcing digital platforms to open their operations to scrutiny rather than hiding behind selfregulation. 6. Empower youth to codesign and monitor progress towards

equitable systems We must empower youth to not only codesign these systems but to actively monitor their success. This requires creating and scaling childfriendly accountability tools — such as progress dashboards and scorecards — that allow children to track outcomes directl y. We must institutionalize sustainable feedback loops where youth concerns trigger timely responses and tangible results. Finally, by introducing participatory budgeting and decisiontracking at school, community, and national levels, we ensure children c an see exactly how priorities are set and funds are spent.From Children ’ s Voices to Action 5 Contents Executive summary ................................ ................................ ................................ .............................. 2 The findings ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................. 2 Recommendations ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 3 Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .......... 6 Methodology ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................... 7

The Network: Defining moments in the digital environment ................................ ................................

...... 9 Horizon 1: The present system ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 12 Limited user choice and data dxploitation ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 12 Inappropriate content and gaps in age verification ................................ ................................ .................... 13 The right to privacy and the complexity of protection ................................ ................................ ................ 15 Mental health and wellbeing are being undermined ................................ ................................ ................ 17 A widespread lack of rights awareness ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 18 The failure of institutions to protect children ................................ ................................ ................................

................................ ................................ ................ 15 Mental health and wellbeing are being undermined ................................ ................................ ................ 17 A widespread lack of rights awareness ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 18 The failure of institutions to protect children ................................ ................................ ................................ 19 Horizon 3: Children’s preferred futures ................................ ................................ ........................... 21 Inclusion and accessibility for all ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................... 21 A culture of shared responsibility ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................... 22 Wellbeing as a design principle ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................... 23 Advanced privacy and safety standards ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 24 Agency, expression, and childcentred design ................................ ................................ ............................. 25 Horizon 2: Innovations and disruptions ................................ ................................ .......................... 27 Digital literacy as a foundational right ................................ ................................ ................................ ............ 27 Tech for expression, identity, and social change ................................ ................................ .......................... 28 Humane tech and design that supports wellbeing ................................ ................................ .................... 29 Rebalancing responsibility between adults and children ................................ ................................ ........... 30 Equitable access and inclusive infrastructure ................................ ................................ ............................... 31 Youth as cogovernors and codesigners ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 32 Recommendations ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................. 35 Conclusion ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 41From Children ’ s Voices to Action 6 Introduction

“ I n all actions concerning children, whether undertaken by public or private social welfare institutions, courts of law, administrative authorities or legislative bodies, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration. ” Article 3(1) of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

“ I n all actions concerning children, whether undertaken by public or private social welfare institutions, courts of law, administrative authorities or legislative bodies, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration. ” Article 3(1) of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

The “Best Interests of the child” principle is increasingly found in digital policies and regulations, but with a lack of clarity on how to regulate or implement it in practice. Despite Article 12 of the Convention affirming every child’s right to be heard and for their views to be prioritized and given due weight in decision making, children’s voices are still largely absent from critical discussions on how to realize their best interests in the digital environment – where they now spend much of their time. Recognizing the need, and indeed our responsibility as dutybearers, to include children in the design of digital environments, as part of the Children's best interests in a digital world project , UNICEF held participatory consultations with children in Sierra Leone, the US, Uganda, Brazil, Spain, Malaysia, and India in 2025. These consultations created a rare space and opportunity for children to reflect on how they experience the digital environ ment, and to explore the core tenets of rightsbased digital futures anchored in their best interests. Having heard these child voices, the Intergenerational Governance and Participation (IGP) team at UNICEF Innocenti recruited a network of 30 adolescents and youth . These individuals were recruited based on their diverse backgrounds, lived experiences, and specialized interests in the digital environment to ensure a comprehensive analysis of children’s concerns, aspirations, and recommendations. UNICEF received 624 a pplicants for the 30 places, all of which were required to answer survey questions related to the past, present, and future of the digital environment. This paper presents insights captured from surveys and workshops. The project employed a custommade participatory research methodology designed to bridge data analysis with youthpplicants for the 30 places, all of which were required to answer survey questions related to the past, present, and future of the digital environment. This paper presents insights captured from surveys and workshops. The project employed a custommade participatory research methodology designed to bridge data analysis with youthled insights. Using digital boards to visualize anonymized data, young researchers utilized a Three Horizons framework to categorize insights into three distinct pillars: the current digital landscape, aspirational futures, and the horizon of highpotential innovations and disruptions. This process was intentionally paced, providing youth participants the dedicated space to deeply internalize th e children’s voices and ensure the final insights remained rooted in their lived experiences.From Children ’ s Voices to Action

7 The program me design embraced principles of meaningful youth engagement ensuring young people were actively involved in the design and delivery of the process and outputs — from helping to analyze and categorize the data, to shaping the recommendations, and editing this paper. Robust safeguarding protocols and materials were sh ared throughout to ensure a safe and respectful environment for adolescents and youth alike. The result is a testament to what is possible when children and youth collaborate to advance child rights and cocreate digital futures that reflect their best interests. And now, it is our responsibility as dutybearers to listen and act. Please note that the children and young people mentioned and quoted in the following report refer specifically to the participants engaged through child consultations, youth surveys and youth workshops facilitated by UNICEF. Where possible, these quotes ha ve been attributed to gender, age, and country of origin. These participants are not representative of all children and young people in their respective countries. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of UNICEF. Methodology While the child rights agenda is legally defined for those under 18, UNICEF engages more young people on global issues than any child rights organi z ation on the planet . Why? Because integrating

countries. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of UNICEF. Methodology While the child rights agenda is legally defined for those under 18, UNICEF engages more young people on global issues than any child rights organi z ation on the planet . Why? Because integrating youth development, participation and mobilization of 15to 24yearolds strengthens the intergenerational continuum of rights . UNICEF Innocenti also recognizes that intergenerational governance models are essential to restoring trust and fostering social cohesionfoundations of healthier democratic societies. Our network of 30 digital changemakers, recruited specifically for this initiative, took part in two 90minute virtual participatory youth foresight workshops designed and cofacilitated by the IGP team. In these sessions they reviewed, analyzed, and synthesized data from 12 child consultations that took place in Sierra Leone, the US, Uganda, Brazil, Spain, Malaysia, and Indiaproviding critical context and shaping the recommendations to stakehold ers presented in this paper. The network of 30 was intentionally curated to represent a global crosssection of digital expertise and lived experience. This cohort includes UNICEF Innocenti Youth Foresight Fellows past and present trained in child rights and participatory methodologie s; leaders from youthled organizations providing critical insights into the governance specifically of artificial intelligence all over the world; individuals with internal experience working for major social media platforms, and researchers specializing in the full spectrum of the digital economy — ranging from FinTech and EdTech to gaming, platform design, and big data. For most of the network, this was their first experience of foresight. Foresight is the capacity to think systematically about the future to inform decision making today. It is described by futuristFrom Children ’ s Voices to Action

8 Maree Conway as a cognitive capacity that we need to develop as individuals, as organizations and as a society .

think systematically about the future to inform decision making today. It is described by futuristFrom Children ’ s Voices to Action

8 Maree Conway as a cognitive capacity that we need to develop as individuals, as organizations and as a society . For this project, the IGP team employed the Three Horizons framework, a foresight tool that can help us think collectively about the future in a way that leads to more effective action in the face of uncertainty and complexity. The Three Horizons consists of three lines which represent different patterns. The first line is the current system, which is in decline (Horizon 1), the second line is the vision of a preferred future that is gr owing stronger (Horizon 3), and the third line represents areas of innovation and disruption, which can either be captured to maintain the current system or harnessed to bring about the new (Horizon 2).

Mapping insights from child consultations onto the Three Horizons framework transformed abstract data into a structured strategic dialogue. This approach ensured that every recommendation remained deeply rooted in children’s authentic voices rather than sp eculation. By clearly identifying the 'preferred futures' articulated by children through consultation, youth were then able to leverage their specialized expertise to define the specific innovations and shifts required to bring those visions to life. More over, the map serves as a constant visual reminder that the children's priorities are the foundation of the work. This paper presents both the perspectives of children — captured through direct consultations conducted by UNICEF — and the insights of adolescents and youth — generated through this participatory foresight process. Together, these complementary voices highlight not only what children are saying about their futures, but also how young people analyze, interpret, envision and contextualize these futures. Quotes from child consultations appear in orange while those from youth foresight exercises appear in blue .From Children ’ s Voices to Action

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The Network: Defining moments in the digital environment

contextualize these futures. Quotes from child consultations appear in orange while those from youth foresight exercises appear in blue .From Children ’ s Voices to Action

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The Network: Defining moments in the digital environment The youth network that was brought together for this project was not only globally diverse — spanning continents, disciplines, and lived experiences — but also qualified. Ranging from 1525, participants included young researchers, activists, policy advisors, digital safety trainers, technologists, and organizers, many of whom were already making a significant impact in their communities. Their expertise was rooted not only in professional or academic achievements but in deeply personal, often formative experie nces within the digital environment.

To better understand their motivations, we asked members at the start of the workshops to reflect on a defining moment in their lives related to the digital environment. Their stories reveal why the digital environment is so critical to children and youth — not just as a space of learning, play, and connection, but as a site of advocacy, empowerment, innovation, exclusion and risk. For some, the defining digital moment came through their social media feeds: “ When I saw how big familyfocused social media channels were getting... the whole conversation with them being exploitative... that's the first time I really started viewing this as a very potentially unsafe place for kids. ” Female, 1825, Pakistan

Others encountered their defining moment through academic research: “ Through my coursework, there was a study that I came across which was about child sexual abuse material being proliferated using generative AI... So I think that’s something that I'm interested in. ” Female, 1825, Myanmar

For others, it was witnessing transformation through education and working with children: “ I had to travel to Burundi to represent Evminet as a digital safety trainer and I had to train the kids there... seeing them just light up after they grasped the core concepts of safety and25, Myanmar

For others, it was witnessing transformation through education and working with children: “ I had to travel to Burundi to represent Evminet as a digital safety trainer and I had to train the kids there... seeing them just light up after they grasped the core concepts of safety and responsible technical use. I just felt something in me, and this a ffirmed my passion in digital safety. ” Female, 1825, Kenya

Several shared moments where digital spaces became platforms for protest and advocacy :From Children ’ s Voices to Action

10 “ In 2024, the US Congress had a big hearing where they had Mark Zuckerberg and all the big tech CEOs come, Myself and a couple of other youth organizers stood up during that hearing and had a Tshirt that said “I'm worth more than $270” - That was the price that Mark Zuckerberg's Meta had said young people were worth... ” Female, 1825, USA

“ We launched an online campaign on Twitter back then, and we pushed the agenda and got most of our members of parliament to sign the bill into law. And now the death penalty is abolished for all ordinary crimes in Ghana . ” Male, 1825, Ghana

Some reflections wrestled with the dual nature of digital power — its potential to both liberate and oppress: “ I lived in Egypt in the aftermath of the Arab Spring... it was really fascinating to see how the digital space enabled such quick mobilization and also how it enabled such rapid repression. Male, 1825, USA

“ During the Black Lives Matter protest... a lot of AI tools were used by the police to predict and target young people who were on the front lines. So, it got me interested in this field. ” Female, 1825, Sudan

For others still, it was a realization that a digital future must be shaped from within their own communities: “

target young people who were on the front lines. So, it got me interested in this field. ” Female, 1825, Sudan

For others still, it was a realization that a digital future must be shaped from within their own communities: “ My defining moment in tech is when I realized that the future of technology for Kenyans, for Africans, should be shaped by people who look like us. And so I became one of those people shaping it for all the other young girls and young Africans who are goin g to come after me . ” Female, 1825, Kenya

“ I had to work on a policy document, and I came across the realization that there are about 230 million digital jobs going to be created in Africa... without really skilling young people, we cannot really take advantage of these opportunities . ” Male , 1825, GhanaFrom Children ’ s Voices to Action

11 These reflections show just how deeply the digital environment intersects with children's rights — from freedom of expression to protection from harm, from access to education to participation in civic life. For the young people in this network, the digital world is not an abstract policy domain. It is where their rights are negotiated, tested, and often violated — but also where they find voice, connection, and purpose.From Children ’ s Voices to Action

12 Horizon 1: The present system

Horizon 1 explores the systems, norms, and practices that define children’s current experience in the digital environment — what is being sustained, and what is no longer working. While not everything in Horizon 1 is negative or enacted with bad intentions i n mind, the overarching message from both children and youth is clear: today’s digital spaces are not built in the best interests of the child. Many youth participants were struck by the clarity, honesty, and awareness evident in the reflections of children during the UNICEF consultations. Across regions and age groups, children demonstrated profound insight into how the digital world works

interests of the child. Many youth participants were struck by the clarity, honesty, and awareness evident in the reflections of children during the UNICEF consultations. Across regions and age groups, children demonstrated profound insight into how the digital world works — and ho w it doesn’t work for them. This was a wakeup call for some: “ Children [in consultations] notice. A lot of times we have conversations we think are complex, but they say it as it is. This is why children need to be part of the conversation . ” Female, 1825, Kenya

Limited u ser c hoice and d ata e xploitation “ A nywhere you put your age, surname and first name, they can know everything about you . ” 1 013 , Spain

Young people in the foresight workshops noticed the high levels of frustration children feel with the illusion of control in digital spaces. The “noticeandconsent” model of data privacy, where users make individual privacy decisions about their own perso nal information, is evidently failing. As one young researcher put it: “ I saw everywhere that everyone was kind of scared of where the information was going, whether it being their digital footprint or the information that they have. And a lot of the terms and conditions do explain these things, but they're just so long .” Female, 1 517 , USA

Another youth participant was eager to point out that the term “digital footprint,” added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2016, reflects how a generation raised in the digital age is now hyperaware of the permanence of whatever is posted online, and ho w it can't really be undone orFrom Children ’ s Voices to Action

13 taken back. Many children and youth are not only aware of the risks — they are increasingly anxious about them. These insights revealed to some youth participants that user choice was clearly integral to children

w it can't really be undone orFrom Children ’ s Voices to Action

13 taken back. Many children and youth are not only aware of the risks — they are increasingly anxious about them. These insights revealed to some youth participants that user choice was clearly integral to children as well as youth: “ I think the underpinning thread that we can pull out from that is the desire to be able to choose what information they want to see and what information they want to share as well as the platforms . ” Female, 1825, USA

Some youth participants pointed to a growing normalization of surveillance capitalism, a term popularized in the digital context by Shoshana Zuboff, where children’s personal data and attention spans are treated as currency; a digital economy driven by eng agement and profit. They noted children’s awareness of this — often described in simple yet striking terms — indicating the urgent need for childcentric, transp