Adolescent voice and agency strengthened through access to ICT and mobile phones

Technology is uniquely shaping the life experiences and opinions of the adolescents growing up in this rapidly digitising world. Although the number of internet users in Bangladesh grew rapidly in the last few years, an inequality exists within socioeconomic groups and genders over access to IT.

BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD) conducted a study on the implications of mobile phone and internet use where it explored the difference in ICT usage between adolescent boys and girls from both well-off and poorer families.

This research also sought to identify and understand the concerns of parents and teachers regarding risks such as cyber-bullying, harassment, and the perceived social and moral degradation of youths through the use and exposure to online content.

The study has found that even though almost everyone has access to a mobile phone, irrespective of class, location, and gender, the quality of access varies. Children from higher socioeconomic classes are more likely to own personal mobile phones, computers, and other digital devices, regardless of their gender. They also have unlimited access to the internet because of wifi connections in their home and most public places.

Having personal phones and unlimited access to the internet enables students from well-off families to have more unsupervised time on the internet both at home and school. It allows them to allocate their time spent on the internet for different purposes, such as research, education, and skill-building besides social media and entertainment.

On the other hand, children from the middle class and poorer families and rural areas rarely own personal mobile phones, relying mostly on shared ones and have limited access to computers due to the lack of resources in school minimising their time on the internet. The price of mobile data further limits their usage as most of them do not have access to wifi connection. These adolescents are aware of the application of the internet for educational purposes but their actual use mostly remains limited to social media and entertainment purposes because of the short time they get to use the device.

A stark gender gap is evident in access to the internet primarily among middle and poorer classes. Buying one's own mobile data is very rare among the girls of this demographic, but very common among the boys. Adolescent boys have greater mobility allowing them to access wifi in public places and use their peers' devices. This persistent digital divide is not only creating new forms of marginalisation but also increasing existing inequalities among adolescents.

An important finding is that what the adolescents are watching and the apps they are using are to some extent related with the physical and normative contexts they are in and the kind of support they get from their schools. Thus, the students of the slum school use a smaller range of apps than students from English medium schools and are less likely to use the internet for educational purposes.

Most parents have a negative view of adolescents using a mobile phone and the internet. The fear of the children getting involved in romantic relationships and hampering their studies by excessive use of the internet clouds their judgment. Girls from middle-class and poorer socio-economic groups and particularly girls from the rural areas are heavily restricted by parents in their use of phones for fear of moral degradation which barely apply to boys. Similar biases are seen among rural school teachers as well. They believe that boys are more interested in and better at, using computers.                   

Adolescent girls, who are already disadvantaged in terms of digital access compared to the boys, are therefore facing additional challenges because of the negative biases of both parents and teachers. According to the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA)'s Mobile Gender Gap Report 2019, there is 62 per cent gender gap in internet use. While 58 per cent of adult women in Bangladesh own mobile phones, only 13 per cent use the internet.

These biases and negative assumptions regarding digital devices and connectivity among gatekeepers play a pivotal role in shaping the quality of access and determining how adolescents use digital technology. Because of the strong correlation between digital access and digital skills, these biases perpetuate the digital divide experienced by adolescent girls and stands as an obstacle to the development of their full potential.

Access to mobile phones and the internet has a strong impact on adolescents' voice and agency. The study has shown that male and female adolescents have gained voice that they did not have before with information and greater exposure to various ways of being and doing through mobile and internet use.

ICT has the means to unleash adolescents' potential for leaving an impact and bringing about social change. The country has seen its example in the 2018 Safe Roads Movement, which started as an online movement created by the adolescents, in wake of the death of many school students in road accidents in recent times.

"I want to be a part of movement against child marriage, dowry, eve-teasing etc. I will get involved by telling my friends. I would let them know through Facebook post. Yes, after that different people will discuss it and share opinions about how to proceed with such movements." said a girl studying in class VIII of a rural school.

The adolescents are developing a multitude of skills using mobile phones and the internet that defies the barrier of different socio-economic backgrounds and locations. This is also enabling them to break gender norms as both boys and girls seem to be picking up similar skills, like cooking and do-it-yourself handicraft skills, showcasing dancing and singing skills.

Another positive aspect of internet access seen in all socio-economic backgrounds is adolescents' increased participation in some forms of household decision-making, such as the purchase of various household goods, clothes, gadgets and healthcare products. Adolescents not only help their parents to access new information but also help them to learn new skills. The internet has helped female students to get proper information about female hygiene and menstruation, discussions about which still remains a taboo in both household and educational institutions.

Even though adolescents are using information from the internet to form their opinions, parents of the girls from rural schools tend to disapprove of such behaviour and consider it rude. Many adolescents express their future aspirations to set up their own online businesses. However, an examination of all the interviews of the adolescents reveals that boys are more likely to specifically link their future aspirations with their knowledge or use of ICT than girls.

The study found that the internet can have a positive impact on the voice and agency of adolescents, which can increase their self-confidence and aspiration. This may lead to positive outcomes in their personal growth to support better learning.

A pattern that emerged from this research is the tendency of parents and teachers to "protect" adolescents from the harmful effects of the internet and digital technology by heavily monitoring and restricting their access. Adolescents, predominately girls from all socioeconomic backgrounds reported facing harassment online. But they were able to identify the negative impact and risks of mobile and ICT use, and some adolescents showed personal urge in terms of being able to minimise vulnerability to online risks.

To ensure better use of ICT in creating adolescent voice, first, the parents need to be better oriented with the effective use of ICT and digital tools and ways of managing online risks.  They need to be educated about the positive links between education and internet use and the need for equal access to the internet by both their daughters and sons.

 Secondly, schools have an important role in enabling students to benefit from ICT through introducing sites where adolescents can find help with certain subjects, encouraging the use of the internet in doing research, and educating students about online risks such as ICT-related violence. Schools can also play a role in constructively enhancing adolescent voice in social and global issues.

Finally, government policies have to focus on developing human resources in terms of training the teachers on ICT as well as introducing computer labs and multimedia classrooms. The government also has to institute stronger measures to make it more difficult for under-aged children to access age-inappropriate materials and protect them from online risks.

In Bangladesh, parental digital literacy is a precondition for ensuring that the children use the internet safely. While the stakeholders and gatekeepers have a key role in building a safe environment for adolescents' mobile and internet use, they should ensure that adolescents gain their voice and agency while doing so.

Lopita Huq is a Research Fellow at the Gender and Social Transformation Cluster at BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), BRAC University.

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Maheen Sultan is a Senior Fellow of Practice and Head a.i. Gender and Social Development Cluster at BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), BRAC University.

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Zarine Anan Khondoker is a Communications Officer at BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), BRAC University.

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