Digital Youth Index for action

The Skills Index measures two indicators related to digital skills:

• • Basic digital skills essential for daily life
  • Levels of aspiration for careers that use more advanced digital skills.

This year we also started to explore young people’s views on AI and whether they feel that large language model (LLM) software such as ChatGPT may influence their lives.

• Aspirations for digital careers broadly mirror those found in 2022. However, aspiration differs depending on age,
  location and whether they are classified as NEET.
• As young people enter the world of further education or employment, satisfaction with the training they have
  received for digital skills goes down.
• 53% of our respondents have used an AI chatbot and are curious about how they can use AI tools like these in their
  lives. However, many young people are worried about AI and what it might mean for future jobs.

The Safety pillar examines a young person’s experience of staying safe online, and tracks data including:

• • their awareness of key risks
  • their ability to implement basic safety measures
  • their feelings of safety
  • their exposure to potential harms

• Most young people feel safe online SAFETY (94%). They feel that they understand what ‘internet safety’ means, they are
  aware of key risks, and they know how to implement basic measures to keep themselves safe online.
• However, the percentage of young people (76%) who have had upsetting online experiences is up 7 percentage points on 2022.
• Exposure to fake news (up 4% points since 2022), hate speech (up 4% points), sexual content (up 6% points) and being
  asked to share inappropriate sexual images (up 5% points) have all increased.

The Access pillar looks at access to the critical devices required to use the internet. These vary between different groups of young people based on their needs. This year, we’re particularly concerned with access to devices for learning and careers.

• Access is the now lowest-scoring pillar in the Digital Youth Index and a top priority for improvement.
• Our research suggests that 14% of all young people lack access to a learning device (a laptop or desktop computer). This equates to 2 million young people across the UK.
• Nearly 570,000 young people lack both a learning device and home internet connection. This has worrying implications for educational equality and social mobility.

The Connectivity pillar of the Digital Youth Index examines a young person’s ability to connect to the digital world, regardless of device. It explores a young person’s home broadband connection, connectivity in a school or workplace setting, and their ability to access mobile
data.

• While this year’s Connectivity Index score is higher than last year’s, this trend could be masking a more troubling reality.
• 15% of all young people are without broadband access at home. Young people in receipt of free school meals
  remain worse affected than the overall population (23%).
• In the 2022 Digital Youth Index, 10% of respondents said they had to change or cancel their internet package; 11% stated the same this year.

The Wellbeing pillar looks at young people’s overall happiness. It also charts the effects that their digital lives have on their wellbeing.

• Young people spend an average of 4-5 hours a day online. This time is mostly spent browsing social media, chatting with others and accessing entertainment.
• 95% of young people are on a form of social media. Young people strongly appreciate that social media makes them feel more connected to others, and 40% believe it can be a force for good. 
• However, many young people are experiencing distressing content on social media (particularly on X (Twitter), Reddit and TikTok) and feel it impacts their personal health and wellbeing – particularly among over-16s.
• Those in marginalised groups – such as LGBTQ+ young people and those with disabilities – are most likely to state that social media has a negative impact on people like them (38%).