Youth and ICT

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) presents both opportunities and challenges in terms of social and development inclusion of youth. Youth tend to be creative, adaptable, and innovative. Hence they stand a greater chance to benefit more from the rapid growth of ICT. The internet is the most used form of ICT by youth. They use it to communicate through chat rooms, social networks and forums. This modern technology has brought about a lot of awareness to youth on issues affecting them like HIV/AIDS, poverty and employment, therefore improving their quality of life and that of their communities. ICT can empower youth by providing them with the opportunity to overcome distance barriers and socio- economic disadvantage.

Even with its rapid growth, some regions in the world still lack access to Information and Communication Technology with South Asia and Sub Saharan Africa with the least user statistics. This is due to the fact that countries in these regions are mostly developing countries and the cost of using this technology is hefty on them. Although a lot of good comes out of their use, disadvantages are still present when it comes to ICT, mostly due to internet crimes committed throughout the world.
Relevant stakeholders are all taking part in bringing ICT awareness among youth as they believe it's a stepping stone towards their growth. With knowledge and use of ICT youth can advance in what they do.