International Youth Perspectives of Technology and Careers

Technology plays a pivotal role in the lives of 13 to 18-year-olds and they expect their reliance and usage of technology to increase over the next two years. Most teenagers believe technology is generally moving in a positive direction and is a force for good. Their primary concerns are privacy, online civility, and cybersecurity when it comes to the potential negative impacts of technology.

The latest research from CompTIA reveals a healthy interest in information technology (IT) careers. The interest is encouraging, but could it be even higher? Perceptions of careers in technology are largely positive – among both girls and boys, but information gaps undoubtedly play a role in discouraging segments of students from pursuing a career in technology.

Given its prevalence in the news, young people are quite familiar with trends relating to automating technologies and the potential impact on future jobs. While there is some level of concern, most young people see it as another reason to further develop their skills and experience with technology.