Nurturing the Transformative Agency and Activism of Children Through Digital Technology

Abstract

Abstract

Digitalization has permeated and transformed all aspects of our everyday life, also that of the children of today. In studies on digitalization, it is pivotal to focus on the young generation, as they will for sure be living their life intimately intermingled with digital technology. For their future, it is central to ensure they have access to digital technology, are able to use it, as well as are able to integrate it into meaningful social practices, resulting in valuable impacts on their life and on society. Moreover, we should ensure they are able to take part in making and shaping of it. Children should be invited to actively, constructively, and critically engage in the design, development, and innovation of digital technology, for the purposes relevant for their life as well as for society. Their agency in shaping our digital future as active citizens should be nurtured. So far, the literature on how to engage children in this type of endeavour is very limited; yet, badly needed. This chapter, based on theories on agency and activism, scrutinizes a set of digital technology design and development projects we have organized with children. We have engaged multiple school classes of children from primary and lower secondary education (from 7 to 16 years), who have taken part in design, development and innovation of digital technology, at the same time addressing important societal concerns as well as concerns of their everyday life. The chapter proposes a framework for nurturing children’s agency and activism in and through digital technology development. The framework is valuable for researchers and practitioners working with children, particularly with their technology or civic engagement education.