The Impact of ICT on the Lives of Girls, Boys, and Adolescents

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A qualitative study presents differences and gender inequalities in the use of technologies by children and adolescents and was developed by Cetic.br|NIC.br, UNESCO Montevideo, and the Regional UNESCO Chair on Women, Science and Technology in Latin America

UNESCO Montevideo presents the study on gender differences and inequalities in access and use of ICT by girls, boys, and adolescents, developed by Cetic.br|NIC.br and the Regional UNESCO Chair on Women, Science and Technology in Latin America at FLACSO-Argentina. 

It is unquestionable that information and communication technologies (ICT) play an increasingly important role in the lives of new generations, but gender inequalities that go beyond access still persist. 

The implications of these technologies in the daily lives of children and youth are holistic: they impact their education, physical and mental health, entertainment, sociocultural development, political life, among other aspects. And, although public policies are often designed considering these impacts, they do not always contemplate the opinions, values, and experiences of girls, boys, and adolescents. 

In this context, the UNESCO Regional Science Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, through its Information and Communication program, presents the publication Children, Adolescents and the Use of the Internet in São Paulo and Buenos Aires: Studies from a Gender Equality Perspective, developed by researchers from the Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society (Cetic.br), a department of the Brazilian Network Information Center (NIC.br), and the Regional UNESCO Chair on Women, Science and Technology in Latin America, at FLACSO-Argentina. The publication particularly explores gender inequalities related to the experiences of girls, boys, and adolescents with digital technologies in the cities of São Paulo (Brazil) and Buenos Aires (Argentina).

“ICTs represent the fastest and deepest technical change experienced in the region and indeed in the world. That is why a robust global pedagogical method has been developed to facilitate the education of a large number of boys and girls. However, it is essential to discuss and offer recommendations for child-adolescent participation in the laws, policies, and strategies of these technologies,” stated Lidia Brito, director of the UNESCO Regional Science Office for Latin America and the Caribbean. 

The study's results show how the online experiences of girls and boys are influenced by gender issues, as well as differences in harnessing opportunities, the great concern with self-presentation on social networks, the privacy-related risks, and the violence they experience in digital environments. 

The results demonstrate the importance of analyzing digital gender gaps and their relation to different groups and social contexts,” pointed out Gloria Bonder, coordinator of the Regional UNESCO Chair on Women, Science and Technology in Latin America, FLACSO-Argentina. 

This publication aims to raise awareness among different actors about the relevance of considering a gender perspective in formulating public policies related to the use of ICT by girls, boys, and adolescents. Joint efforts are essential to reduce the inequalities identified in this study to enhance the positive aspects of the Internet and maximize the opportunities it provides to both girls and boys. 

“Analyzing the access and use of ICT by girls, boys, and adolescents through a qualitative approach, based on a gender perspective, is extremely relevant for the development of inclusive public policies that consider the opportunities and often unequal consequences of technologies," expressed Tatiana Jereissati, coordinator of Qualitative Methods and Sectoral Studies at Cetic.br|NIC.br.

This content was automatically translated with the support of artificial intelligence.