Young Voters Need Digital Literacy Skills, Survey Finds

Young people lack the necessary skills to evaluate political information online, according to a new national survey conducted by Internet Matters and Full Fact. The findings raise concerns about the government’s plans to lower the voting age, suggesting that extending voting rights to 16 and 17-year-olds could fail to strengthen democratic participation without proper support.

The comprehensive survey, which gathered responses from over 550 young people aged 13-17 and more than 800 parents and carers across the UK, reveals that children are encountering political content online well before reaching voting age. A striking 74% of those aged 13-14 report having seen content about news, politics, or current affairs online.

Despite this early exposure, young people report feeling ill-equipped to assess the credibility of political information. Only 53% of respondents aged 13-17 who have encountered political content online expressed confidence in determining whether it’s true or false. Similarly, just 59% feel confident distinguishing fact from opinion in online environments.

The rise of misinformation and artificial intelligence is further undermining young people’s trust in the electoral process. Approximately 63% of young respondents expressed concern about voters being misled by false or misleading claims during elections, while 60% worry that AI-generated content could affect election results. Perhaps most troublingly, the same percentage report ignoring political messaging altogether because they don’t know if they can trust what politicians and political parties say.

These concerns are mirrored by parents, with 52% believing young people are unprepared to make informed electoral decisions. Only 49% of parents expressed confidence in their child’s ability to recognize satire, a critical skill in today’s complex media environment.

Rachel Huggins, CEO of Internet Matters, emphasized the digital reality facing young voters: “Young people are growing up in a digital world where much of their political information comes from online platforms, where it can be difficult to judge what is a fact and, with the rise of AI-generated content, even what is real.”

The organizations behind the study have issued four key recommendations for parliament and government to ensure newly enfranchised voters can participate confidently in democratic processes.

First, they call for greater support for schools to strengthen media and digital literacy across the curriculum, including access to high-quality resources and comprehensive teacher training. A recent independent curriculum review in England highlighted the need to equip young people with the ability to make informed decisions and understand how opinions, AI-generated content, and satire can influence democratic participation.

Second, the government should establish a coordinated national approach to media literacy, supporting both young people and adults, including parents and carers. The organizations urge the government to publish its promised “vision statement” on media literacy, outlining clear objectives and success measures.

Third, sustained funding for media literacy education outside schools is essential, including evidence-based public information campaigns by the Electoral Commission on issues such as misinformation.

Finally, parliament must require social media companies to support users’ media literacy on their platforms through measures like labeling AI-generated content, implementing design features that support critical evaluation, and providing user controls for recommendation systems.

Mark Frankel, Head of Public Affairs at Full Fact, noted that by age 13, many young people are already engaging with political information online. “Rather than banning them from social media, we need to teach children the skills to navigate and assess these sources of political information,” he said.

Parliamentary voices have also weighed in on the findings. Emily Darlington MP, Member of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, referenced the committee’s inquiry into the 2024 summer riots, stating that misinformation can be “damaging for our democracy” and calling for action before it’s too late.

The survey results present a clear challenge for policymakers: lowering the voting age must be accompanied by comprehensive measures to equip young people with the critical thinking skills needed to participate meaningfully in democratic processes in today’s complex digital information environment.