Children consider access to the internet a right, but many of those involved report that they have no or only limited access to the internet. Barriers include affordability, gender, language, and physical or cognitive impairments.
1.1 Affordability
Children cite high costs as the main barrier to their access to the internet, especially in low-income countries. They say that the cost of devices and data is often prohibitive.
Canada, boy, 12: Money flows [are a barrier]. Technology is expensive. Many people can't afford [it].
Pakistan, gender and age unknown: [Children] don't have smartphones because of financial constraints.
Children also point to infrastructural barriers, including lack of or unreliable power supply and slow internet speeds, older or no devices, limited battery life, and lack of connectivity. Children from low-income countries also point to barriers related to lack of knowledge, skills, and education.
Kenya, boy, 15: [There is] no electricity in our area.
Ethiopia, gender and age unknown: We don't currently use digital technologies to express ourselves, but we would like to do so in the future if we have the knowledge or access.
Malaysia, girl, 13: I wish that children in rural areas could enjoy the benefits of the internet just like everyone else.
Ethiopia, boy, 18: A language barrier ... prevents us from making better use of internet services.
Romania, girl, 16: [I haven't learned to code because] the school I go to doesn't offer classes where I could learn it.
Lebanon, gender and age unknown: [I haven't learned web development because] there are no teachers or specialists.
Children – especially in low-income countries – often cite lack of time as a major barrier to their regular access to the digital environment. In particular, they emphasize that their obligations to contribute to household chores and study conflict with their desire to go online or meet up with friends. Children around the world want governments and technology providers at the international level to find a solution to the challenges posed by their varying and unequal access.
1.2 Language
Relevant content should also be available in other foreign languages; this is the wish of many children, including those who explicitly request tools for barrier-free access in other languages.
Egypt, gender and age unknown: The Arabic language is not widely used on the internet. The language needs to be more widely used through... an increase in Arabic content and improved translation of foreign websites.
Children around the world are calling on governments and technology providers to make more age-appropriate and culturally relevant content available internationally in their respective languages.
1.3 Disabilities
Children from many countries are actively campaigning to make technologies more accessible to people with disabilities. Concrete proposals have been put forward by a group of hearing-impaired children from Portugal. The view that assistive technologies for greater accessibility should be more widely available and easier to use is expressed by many children, including those who do not themselves have specific accessibility needs.
Portugal, boy with hearing impairment, 15: Like the entire deaf community, I want to draw the attention of the government and the prime minister to our accessibility issues. We are trying to fight so that the hearing community does not see us as nothing and so that Portugal listens to the problems of the deaf community.
United Kingdom, girl, 15: Why not just have the subtitles appear automatically and then we can turn them off when we don't need them? That would be easier for people who actually need some help!
Portugal, boy, 16: All websites could use an app to translate what is written or to translate what is spoken on YouTube.
Children around the world want governments and technology providers to create easier access for users with varying accessibility needs, including the standard provision of easy-to-use assistive technologies.
1.4 Gender
Globally, and especially in low-income countries, girls face significant gender-based barriers to access. In workshops in Jordan, girls described how boys have access to the internet in public places, such as internet cafes, while this is considered inappropriate for girls. Girls also face challenges within their families, as they are subject to stricter restrictions on when, where, and with whom they are allowed to access the internet.
Pakistan, girl, age unknown: [People say that] girls should avoid using the internet.
Canada, boy, 12: Certain people are discriminatory [and that] restricts access. For example, the teacher doesn't provide technology for the girls.
Children around the world are concerned that girls don't have the same access to digital technologies and that this could affect their rights and perhaps even their life chances.
Jordan, workshop leader's notes: Girls seem to have less access to the internet than boys... There is discrimination in access based on gender... Girls don't own their own phones and have limited internet access compared to boys, who can also access internet cafes, which are generally only for boys. It could also be related to the fact that girls' internet access is restricted by family members (parents/husband).