The Nuffield Foundation has published research on the experiences of young people aged 14- to 24-years-old growing up online. Drawing on large-scale surveys, existing research, and insights from young people, the research explores levels of access to digital technologies and how young people spend their time online. It also discusses how digital technologies relate to experiences of ‘growing up’, including relationships with others; individual identity formation; mental health and wellbeing; and exposure to online harms.

Findings include:

• there is no unified experience of growing up online, with young people experiencing both benefits and harms from digital technologies
• being part of communities that are often marginalised or minoritised appears to impact an individual’s experiences with digital technology
• while many young people have encountered potentially harmful content online, some young people report taking active measures to protect themselves such as setting time limits on specific applications and proactively taking breaks from digital devices.

News item here: What Gen Z do online and why, matters more than screentime

Research Report here: Growing up online