Youth Speak Out on Growing Up Online

Now in its third year, The Archewell Foundation’s Insight Sessions continue to surface urgent truths about what it means to grow up in the digital age. This year, we spoke with 106 young people aged 10 to 25 across Australia, Canada, Panama, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Their words—sometimes hopeful, often conflicted, always honest—reveal a generation navigating unprecedented complexity.

The Paradox of Digital Life

Three out of four young people told us technology plays a positive role in their lives. “Growing up in the digital age has its advantages,” explained a Canadian participant. “Whether it’s socializing with friends, academics or work, [technology] has made my life more efficient in so many ways.”

Yet when asked to describe that same digital experience, they reached for words like “overwhelming,” “confusing,” and “overstimulating.” One American young person captured it perfectly: “There’s so much stuff that’s being pushed on you that you don’t know what’s true and what’s not… we live in a landscape where we have to second guess everything constantly.”

This isn’t a generation asking to abandon technology. Instead, they’re asking leaders to recognize how difficult it is to manage life in this environment and to provide tools and guidance that help them not only cope, but shape digital spaces into something healthier and safer.

Redefining Leadership

When we asked about leadership in the digital age, responses revealed a troubling vacuum. Young people initially named tech giants and high-profile figures—reactions that were largely negative. But when asked to identify leaders of their own generation, many struggled. 

Across every geography, young people distinguished between influencers and true leaders. Influencers, they explained, are “performative,” “inauthentic,” and “profit-motivated.” Real leadership requires authenticity, commitment to causes over profit, and tangible impact beyond follower counts.

Perhaps most telling: trust often runs strongest offline. Young people consistently told us they turn to parents, educators, and community leaders for advice on important matters. “Whenever I am saying ‘someone wise once said,'” shared an American participant, “it’s never someone I watched online, it’s always someone I had a conversation with in person.”

Growing Up With AI

AI has become non-negotiable in young people’s lives. Nearly half identified personalized learning as AI’s most positive use, praising its ability to act as a free, accessible tutor.

But overdependence emerged as their top concern. Older participants expressed relief they developed critical thinking skills before AI arrived, worrying younger generations won’t have that foundation.

Manipulated content ranked as their second-greatest fear. Young women described deepfakes as “terrifying” and “the scariest thing ever.” The rise of AI-generated misinformation threatens to corrode trust in news, politics, and public life at a moment when these young people are already exhausted from constantly questioning what’s real.

The Social Media Struggle

Young people describe social media with both “connection” and “toxic” in the same breath. They’re trying to disconnect—and failing. “I honestly think life would be a lot simpler without specific social media,” explained a Canadian participant.

Despite knowing these platforms are designed to be addictive, young people mostly blame themselves for lack of willpower. They set time limits, download accountability apps, delete platforms entirely, but these tactics rarely last. They want to leave but keep returning because social media remains essential for staying connected.

What They’re Asking For

At the end of each session, participants wrote letters to tech leaders. Their demands were clear: prioritize user safety over profit, design for inclusivity, implement strong regulations, empower users with control and education, and most importantly—listen to young people and act on their insights.

As one Panamanian participant concluded: “Young people trust you to create safer environments online, and we are committed to using these tools in a healthy way.”

The solutions are within reach, especially when we recognize that young people aren’t the problem to be solved, they’re essential partners in building the digital world we all deserve.

The Archewell Foundation thanks all of the partners and organizations that made this report possible.

To read this year’s Insight Report: