Navigating digital rights: balancing advocacy and basic needs for Cambodian children and youth

This study addresses the multifaceted issue of digital rights education among children and young people in Southeast Asian developing countries, with specific case study in Cambodia. It aims to reframe the discourse beyond online platforms and digitization of services and sectors to encompass broader societal implications of how such digitization processes will impact children and young people’s fundamental human rights and basic needs in low- and middle-income regions. Drawing from consultations and workshops conducted in both urban and rural areas in the country, this article challenges the misconception of digital rights solely pertaining to online behaviour and highlights the need for systematic, practical, and contextual approaches. The research, conducted with children and youth of Cambodia, aimed to explore the evolving landscape of digital technologies in their lives, examining both the opportunities and risks they pose to them—in their own words. The article outlines key gaps in digital rights knowledge and skills among children and youth and argues that digital rights education should be framed within the broader context of human rights. However, it emphasizes the need for a balanced approach that moves beyond—what one can argue—a Western consumer advocacy through a digital rights movement. The focus of this article is on raising awareness among Cambodian children and youth and promoting policy development that holds industries accountable for equitable and rights-respecting designs, both locally and across Southeast Asia.