- Session Type (Workshop, Open Forum, etc.): Workshop
- Title: Emerging Youth Practices and the Digital Economy
- Date: Monday the 12 November 2018
- Time: 9:00 - 10:30 am
- Organizer(s):
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Lionel Brossi, Institute of Communication and Image at the University of Chile (Civil Society)
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Sandra Cortesi, Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University (Civil Society)
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Christian Fieseler, Norwegian Business School BI (Civil Society)
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Urs Gasser, Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University (Civil Society)
- Chair/Moderator:
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Sandra Cortesi, Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University (In-person moderator)
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Alexa Hasse, Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University (Remote moderator)
- Rapporteur/Notetaker:
- List of speakers and their institutional affiliations (Indicate male/female/ transgender male/ transgender female/gender variant/prefer not to answer):
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Jasmina Byrne (female), Chief of Policy Lab, UNICEF Division of Data, Research and Policy (Intergovernmental Organization)
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Marcelino Cabrera (male), Senior Researcher, Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (Government)
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Monica Guise Rosina (female), Public Policy Manager, Facebook (Private Sector)
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Andres Lombana-Bermudez (male), Fellow, Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, Centro de Estudios de Internet y Sociedad (ISUR), (Civil Society)
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Juliana Nolasco (female), Public Policy Manager, Google (Private Sector)
- Theme (as listed here): Human Rights, Gender & Youth
- Subtheme (as listed here): Youth Inclusion
- Please state no more than three (3) key messages of the discussion. [150 words or less]
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The participation of youth in the digital economy is impacted not only by inequities in terms of Internet access, but gaps around factors such as a) level of connectivity, b) socioeconomic status, c) quality of education and d) degree of Internet freedom in a particular region. These gaps, in turn, affect the visibility of youth engaging in online economic activities.
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As youth participate in the digital economy, they have opportunities to not only cultivate economic capital but cultural and social capital. It’s worthwhile to consider how we might measure these forms of intangible capital.
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It’s important to consider how stakeholders operationalize the digital skills needed to successfully participate in the digital economy – not only safety-oriented skills but also skills around creativity and problem-solving. The way we define these skills must also be fluid and adaptable as developments in technologies continue to evolve.
- Please elaborate on the discussion held, specifically on areas of agreement and divergence. [150 words] Examples: There was broad support for the view that…; Many [or some] indicated that…; Some supported XX, while others noted YY…; No agreement…
- Please describe any policy recommendations or suggestions regarding the way forward/potential next steps. [100 words]
- What ideas surfaced in the discussion with respect to how the IGF ecosystem might make progress on this issue? [75 words)
- Please estimate the total number of participants.
There were approximately 42 total participants (this number takes into account organizers, moderator, the rapporteur, and speakers).
- Please estimate the total number of women and gender-variant individuals present.
Approximately 20 participants were women (this number takes into account organizers, moderator, the rapporteur, and speakers). The panel itself was primarily female, with three out of the five speakers being female, and a female moderator and rapporteur.
- To what extent did the session discuss gender issues, and if to any extent, what was the discussion? [100 words]
Gender issues in the context of youth and the digital economy were embedded throughout the workshop. In particular, panelists discussed the persistent gender gap in terms of ICT usage and labor participation. Data from UNICEF, for example, indicates that 26% more young men (ages 15-24) than young women engage in economic activities online. Against this backdrop, the group discussed the importance of training programs for young women catered to their specific needs. For example, training should provide remote learning for young mothers working from home, and/or young girls experiencing restriction of movement due to, for example, limited transportation.