Youth, Digital Access and Urban Participation

International Hybrid Symposium

Digital technologies, particularly smartphones and mobile internet, are transforming the way young people learn, interact, organise themselves and participate in social, economic and cultural life around the world. However, access to and effective use of these tools remain unevenly distributed. Geographical location, socio-economic status and gender influence not only the ability to connect, but also the skills mobilised and creative strategies developed to overcome obstacles.

In order to strengthen scientific knowledge and inform public policy decisions, this symposium aims to combine engineering and social science approaches to analyse digital access infrastructure and young people's appropriation practices in urban areas, particularly in secondary cities in the Global South. Discussions will draw on ongoing research in Senegal on digital access and usage among young people in Saint-Louis and Ziguinchor, two rapidly changing cities characterised by diverse digital service ecologies.