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Can You See Us? – Report Challenges Public Perceptions of Young People
22 November 2024
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The #iwill Movement has today unveiled a landmark report, Can You See Us?, revealing the persistent gap between public perceptions of young people and their significant contributions to society.
Spanning three years, from 2022–24, and gathering insights from more than 1,000 UK respondents annually, the report highlights how misconceptions about young people hinder their empowerment and leadership opportunities.
Key findings
- Negative stereotypes persist: Many older age groups continue to describe young people as “naïve”, “entitled”, and “lazy”;
- Awareness influences attitudes: People familiar with Youth Social Action are far more likely to have positive perceptions of young people;
- Mismatch of priorities: While young people champion causes like climate action and equality, these issues often fail to resonate with older generations. For the second consecutive year, support from older generations for campaigns on LGBTQ+ issues has notably declined;
- Barriers to leadership: While 74 per cent of respondents support young voices in politics, only 39 per cent trust young people in decision-making roles.
Recommendations
The report urges policymakers, communities, and organisations to take action in:
- Encouraging intergenerational dialogue to bridge understanding between age groups;
- Reshaping media narratives to better reflect the positive contributions of young people;
- Investing in platforms that spotlight and amplify youth-led change.
Voices from the Movement
Stacey Carmichael, BBC Children in Need youth social action lead, said: “This report underlines the importance of investing in young people’s potential. Through our programme, we are committed to breaking down barriers and building trust to ensure every young person feels empowered to lead and create change.”
An #iwill Ambassador said: “We are more than the labels placed on us. We want to build a better world – let’s create it together.”
Join the conversation
The Can You See Us? report challenges us all to rethink how we view and support young people. Read the full report below and learn how we can collectively foster a society where young people thrive as leaders and changemakers.
To read the full report, click here.
About UK Youth
UK Youth is a leading charity with a vision that all young people are equipped to thrive and empowered to contribute at every stage of their lives. With an open network of more than 9,000 youth organisations and nation partners; UK Youth reaches more than four million young people across the UK and is focused on unlocking youth work as the catalyst of change that is needed now more than ever. To find out more, visit ukyouth.org
UK Youth is involved in a range of programmes designed to help young people thrive, such as outdoor learning, physical literacy, social action and employability. For more on UK Youth’s programmes, see ukyouth.org/what-we-do/programmes
About the #iwill movement
The #iwill Movement is a collaboration of more than 1,000 organisations, more than 300 young #iwill Ambassadors and more than 1,500 young #iWill Champions from across the UK. They are united by a shared vision of a society that understands and champions the power of youth – where all young people are equipped and enabled to shape and lead change- in their own lives and communities. It is #iwill’s mission to invest in young people’s passions and talents, amplifying their voices, and empowering them to take an active role in transforming their communities through social action.
The #iwill Movement was launched in November 2013 after an independent review into how different sectors could help more young people to make a positive difference. The movement is supported by an independent coordination hub, hosted by Volunteering Matters and UK Youth.