The Digital Environment: Contributions and Challenges for the Children's Participation From a Perspective of Equity

Abstract

The digital environment has the potential to guarantee inclusion in child participation initiatives and decision‐making processes. This chapter looks at findings from a recent research project on child participation in the local area in Spain, and from a participatory diagnosis with children and adolescents from vulnerable neighbourhoods in the metropolitan area of Barcelona. Based on these findings, the authors explore the roles, uses, and specific areas of youth participation in the digital sphere. The results indicate that children and adolescents from vulnerable areas use social networks to communicate, entertain themselves, and share information, but not usually to participate, be socially active, or express active citizenship. The chapter reflects on the need for education to contribute to young people's digital literacy to increase the opportunities for participation and to create diverse, inclusive, and participatory spaces and strategies from a perspective of equity in the digital environment.