Did you know that this year we celebrate 35 years of the Convention on the Rights of the Child? It was in 1989 that the world officially decided that all children have their rights. With the celebration of this special day, the 2024 edition of the State of the World's Children report was also published, which presents an important analysis and identifies 3 global mega trends that are shaping the lives of children today and that will continue to influence our future. The top three megatrends identified in this year's report are: technology, climate change, and conflict and migration. These trends are interconnected and have a profound impact on children's access to education, health, safety and well-being. Let's focus today on the technology-related trend.

Conscious Creators, Not Just Consumers 🚀

Let's be honest: nowadays technology is almost everywhere. But are we really preparing children for this digital world? Technological education cannot just be about teaching how to use a tablet or how to log in or write a word document. It has to go much further. It's teaching how technology works, what's behind the screens and what we can create with it. 🛠️✨

We want children to stop being just passive consumers – always counting likes, scrolling through videos or playing what others have invented – and start being conscious creators. 💡 Because that's where the magic is! When children learn how what they are connected to works or learn to think critically about technology, doors open to imagining and creating solutions to the world's biggest problems. 🌍💭 And the best? They do so responsibly, thinking about the impact of their inventions on people's lives.

However, technology is also creating a new digital divide, with millions of children in poor countries or rural areas without access to the internet or digital devices. UNICEF estimates that around 1.3 billion children around the world are offline, making it impossible for them to access various opportunities. The rise of social media, online gaming and digital platforms has brought with it risks such as cyberbullying, exposure to harmful content and mental health issues related to screen time. It is urgent to prepare children for the technological reality we are experiencing.

Furthermore, the future will be increasingly digital. 🌐 Teaching about technological ethics, online safety 🔐 and how to use technology for good is the best gift we can give to the generations to come. 🧑‍💻👩‍💻 Because, deep down, we are preparing not only the next leaders or scientists, but above all conscious citizens – and they have to be up to the giant challenges that we are already facing. 🚀✨