{"id":636499,"date":"2026-10-20T17:34:36","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T17:34:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/636499\/"},"modified":"2026-10-20T17:34:36","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T17:34:36","slug":"constantly-seeking-access-the-young-people-locked-out-of-a-connected-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/636499\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Constantly seeking access’: The young people locked out of a connected world"},"content":{"rendered":"

What does a digitally inclusive future look like, and who is at risk of being left behind? Research commissioned by One NZ highlights youth perspectives to imagine what digital inclusion in Aotearoa could mean.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s 5.27pm, and the library is closing. You are one of the tens of thousands of young people<\/a> in Aotearoa without an internet connection at home, and you have three minutes to submit your online assessment. You finish typing the end of your sentence, then hit submit and log out of the public access computer. You know you could\u2019ve done better if you had a few more hours, but it couldn\u2019t be helped; when you arrived at the library, both available computers had been taken by people accessing government services like MSD.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Outside, the sun is setting. You pull out your phone to check when the bus will arrive, but the app shows no connection and you remember your mobile data plan ran out last week. You start to text someone you\u2019ll be home soon, but your phone dies midway. It\u2019s a hand-me-down, so the battery is cooked, but it\u2019s better than nothing. You tuck your phone away. There\u2019s no one else on the street as the lights come on. You wonder where the bus is.<\/p>\n

Digital connection today is no longer a luxury but a necessity. Public services, education, information and support often require an internet connection to access. But not everyone is equally connected, and it\u2019s often our most vulnerable who are left behind. Importantly, digital inclusion is not just about access, but ensuring safety and trust in digital spaces.<\/p>\n

In 2017, a report commissioned by MBIE and the Department of Internal Affairs found that those most at risk of digital exclusion included families with children in low socioeconomic communities, rural communities, people with disabilities or English as a second language, M\u0101ori and Pacific youth, and seniors.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In 2018, a different report<\/a> commissioned by Te Rourou \u2013 then the Vodafone NZ Foundation \u2013 and InternetNZ highlighted the perspectives of those experiencing digital exclusion, with a focus on young people. It affirmed that having an affordable connection to the internet is \u201can integral and essential part of daily life\u201d, and that limited access can have negative impacts on social and economic outcomes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"DrDr Ellen Strickland, director at public interest think tank Brainbox. (Image: Emily Wong\/Supplied)<\/p>\n

Digital exclusion often compounds disadvantage, says Dr Ellen Strickland. An expert on Internet policy and digital governance, and director at public interest think tank Brainbox, Strickland was involved in the 2018 research as well as the just-released report, Connected Rangatahi: Digital Inclusion in the Age of AI<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring moments of vulnerability, not having access to digital technologies can compound harm, limiting someone\u2019s ability to get support.\u201d<\/p>\n

At Te Rourou, which has a stated vision of helping rangatahi thrive in Aotearoa New Zealand, that makes digital equity an urgent priority.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to treat digital infrastructure as a necessity,\u201d says the foundation\u2019s head, Ezekiel Raui. \u201cIt\u2019s no longer a nice-to-have. We need it for work, for school, to keep connected to our social groups.\u201d<\/p>\n

Responses from research participants revealed that one of the biggest barriers to access was cost. Digital devices are expensive, and represent a major investment for many young people and their wh\u0101nau. Though there are more affordable devices on the secondhand market, Strickland points out that the rapid pace and subsequent obsolescence of technology also poses a significant challenge.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"EzekielEzekiel Raui, head of Te Rourou, the One NZ foundation. (Image: Emily Wong\/Supplied)<\/p>\n

Besides the devices themselves, staying connected was also a challenge for young people and other vulnerable New Zealanders. Mobile data isn\u2019t cheap, which leaves many \u201cconstantly seeking access\u201d through limited public networks and reliant on wifi, says Strickland. Rural communities are especially vulnerable to digital exclusion due to a reliance on insecure power networks, as exposed by weather events like Cyclone Gabrielle and recent storms. And without reliable and timely access to the Internet, those who are already marginalised face further isolation.<\/p>\n

\u201cDigital inclusion is important because it\u2019s about human connection,\u201d says Strickland.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe use digital technologies to be connected with the people we love, which is important for everyone but especially for young people\u2026 not being able to contact others creates this isolation. The psychological and emotional impact of that is enormous.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Young people were concerned about safety and wellbeing in online spaces, from scams and misinformation to issues of bullying and stalking. And these issues are only being compounded by the rise of generative AI.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to strengthen our safety and trust in online spaces, especially given how rapidly AI is being taken up in personal and professional spaces,\u201d says Raui.\u00a0<\/p>\n

At the same time, \u201cA lot of the same rangatahi had solutions for these challenges, but they weren\u2019t being asked or included in the design of tech policy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Strickland adds that young people \u201chave an amazing amount of knowledge and experience about what\u2019s going on online for them\u201d. The effort to create digital equity should include all sectors of society, including young people, she says.<\/p>\n

For Raui and Strickland, a digitally equitable future isn\u2019t possible without the inclusion of young people\u2019s perspectives. That\u2019s why giving young people a voice and empowering future leaders to help find solutions is a critical part of Te Rourou\u2019s work. As digital technology becomes increasingly ubiquitous, Raui notes that excluding young people means \u201cconstantly leaving some of our most excluded and marginalised communities behind.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur young people are the workforce that will be working hand-in-hand with AI, and they\u2019re going to be decision makers around future policy. It\u2019s important that as we upskill we bring our communities with us.\u201d<\/p>\n

This piece was made in partnership with One NZ, who contributes $2 million per year to Te Rourou. For more information about Te Rourou or the Connected Rangatahi research, visit one.nz<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"What does a digitally inclusive future look like, and who is at risk of being left behind? Research…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":636500,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[138,111,139,69],"class_list":["post-636499","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-business","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/636499","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=636499"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/636499\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/636500"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=636499"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=636499"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=636499"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}