Children’s Positions Towards Unclear Futures: Questioning Agency and Participation amidst Technological Transformations

In the sociology of childhood, agency and participation are key to understanding children’s positions in society and affirming their capabilities. As digital transitions accelerate, scholars note that children may possess advantages over older generations due to their digital literacies. Initially, governments and institutions have encouraged children to develop these skills. However, children are also seen as needing protection from risks and challenges. This is reflected in changing regulations, such as social media bans that first occurred in Australia and then the UK, as well as the widening digital gap and rising inequalities across different parts of the world. Yet, just a few years ago during the pandemic, the opposite was true: institutions and governments developed digital materials to provide hybrid and blended education. On the other hand, to "prepare" new generations for changing employment landscapes shaped by AI and other emerging technologies, we expect children to be fully capable of using and understanding technological developments.

As society experiences rapid change, many adults feel a loss of agency and uncertainty about their positions in increasingly precarious times marked by political and economic insecurity. Such turbulence disproportionately affects those who are already “unrecognized” or “vulnerable.” As distinctions and injustices between the global South and North deepen, the challenges children face become more pronounced. Our concerns are varied, but our central question remains clear: How do we interpret children’s agency and participation amid the rapid technological changes of our time, and how can education remain useful and meaningful in such turbulent contexts?