Connected Childhood: The state of digital wellbeing and resilience for children and young people in Europe

As part of our partnership with Save the Children, Vodafone Foundation has released new research exploring how young people across Europe perceive their own digital wellbeing and the role digital spaces play in their daily lives.

Connected Childhood: The State of Digital Wellbeing & Resilience for Children and Young People in Europe surveyed over 7,500 13–18-year-olds across nine European countries using a new Digital Wellbeing and Resilience Index. It presents a mixed snapshot of digital wellbeing and resilience amongst young Europeans in Albania, Greece, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Türkiye and the United Kingdom

The findings reveal a striking gap between the pace of technological change and the digital literacy skills of young people. Almost half report that they do not feel confident in their level of digital literacy, highlighting an urgent need for greater support and education. 

The research also shows growing concerns about the amount of time young people spend on social media and the risks they may encounter there. Yet, despite these challenges, two thirds of young people say they feel able to express themselves authentically online and manage their relationships safely.

Three in ten young people (30%) report frequent stress from being online, and nearly half (45%) worry about missing out when offline. This highlights emerging pressures that may affect wellbeing over time.

As a result of these findings, we are calling for online platforms to make their services safer by design, including implementing more effective content moderation for underage children, preventing addictive features, and enforcing strong anti-exploitation measures.