Settlement in the Digital Age
Digital inclusion and newly-arrived young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds
Upon arrival to Australia, young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds are thrust in to an intensely digital environment where their digital inclusion is a potentially powerful tool for achieving settlement outcomes. Digital inclusion may enhance young people’s ability to make full use of digital technology to access opportunities, navigate services and participate in economic, social and civic life. However, as a result of pre- and post-migration factors, newly-arrived young people may face a range of complex barriers to digital inclusion in addition to those experienced by their Australian born peers.
To date, there is limited research exploring newly arrived young people’s engagement with digital technology and the internet or how digital participation facilitates their settlement in Australia. This paper builds on existing work to further explore these questions. First, we review what is known about how offline participation, resources and opportunities influence access to and engagement with digital technology and the internet among newly arrived young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds. In turn, we look at what is known about how digital inclusion impacts participation and settlement outcomes.