What Is Digital Youth Work?

A working definition

The term “digital youth work” was first coined in Finland in 2012, marking the beginning of a deliberate effort to understand how digitalisation could be integrated into youth work practice (Kiviniemi & Touvinen, 2017). In 2018, an expert group established under the European Union Work Plan for Youth 2016–2018 published a foundational definition. Digital youth work, the group argued, means the proactive use of digital media and technology within youth work settings. It is not a separate method. It can be included in any youth work setting—open youth work, youth information and counselling, youth clubs, detached youth work—and its goals remain the same as youth work in general (European Commission, 2018).

We build on this definition at the DYWR.HUB. Digital youth work is the intentional use of digital tools in youth work—not as something separate, but as something embedded across non-formal settings like youth clubs, detached work, and information services. It happens across online and offline spaces. It sits within the same ethics and principles as traditional youth work. The social inclusion of young people in the digital sphere goes beyond access to technology; it is about equipping marginalised communities with the tools and platforms to produce digital content that authentically represents their lived experiences.

Three dimensions

The European Commission’s expert group identified three ways digital media and technology function within youth work. First, as a tool—the use of digital technologies to enhance or facilitate youth work activities, such as online communication platforms, mobile apps, or data management systems. Second, as an activity—digital-based initiatives or programmes designed to engage young people, including coding workshops, digital storytelling projects, and virtual youth groups. Third, as content—addressing topics related to digital media and technology within youth work, such as discussions on digital literacy, online safety, social media well-being, or artificial intelligence in society.

What digital youth work is not

Digital youth work is not educational technology. It is not the deployment of devices in classrooms or the integration of software into formal curricula. It is not a tool for workforce training or a mechanism for producing digitally compliant future employees. Where EdTech tends to operate within the constraints of accountability regimes and market-driven outcomes, digital youth work operates within a tradition of voluntary participation, relational practice, and democratic education.

Nor is digital youth work simply “youth work with a screen.” It has a specificity that sets it apart from traditional youth work, necessitating its own definition, approaches, considerations, and training. As pioneering work by the National Youth Agency and YouthLink Scotland has demonstrated, digital youth work requires dedicated competencies, performance criteria, and professional development for practitioners. YouthLink Scotland’s National Occupational Standards include a specific competency under “Engage with and empower young people to make use of digital media in their daily lives,” covering critical awareness of online relationships, media literacy, content creation, and digital rights.

The boundaries of digital youth work are not fixed. It is a continually evolving practice affected by intersectional and socio-technological factors. It can be messy and unpredictable. Rather than drawing precise lines around where it begins and ends, it may be more useful to think of it as an additional layer to existing youth work, where all involved try their best to navigate the intertwined realities of youth in the digital age.