The publication of the Growing Up Online report is an important moment, not simply because of what it says about children’s and young people’s experiences online, but because of how those insights were gathered.

Across seven Hack events, hundreds of young people came together to discuss one of the most complex issues facing society today. They challenged one another, debated different viewpoints and worked collaboratively to develop thoughtful recommendations for a safer online world.

The quality of those conversations was remarkable.

Young people did not arrive with simple answers. They recognised the enormous opportunities that digital technology brings, while also acknowledging the very real risks it can create. They spoke honestly about their own experiences and carefully considered what responsibility should sit with platforms, parents, schools, government and young people themselves.

What impressed me most was not simply the quality of their ideas, but the maturity with which they approached difficult trade-offs. Too often, we underestimate young people. This process showed why we shouldn’t.

At Volunteering Matters, we believe young people hold many of the answers to the challenges they face because they live those realities every day. Their lived experience is not an optional extra in policymaking; it is essential evidence.

That is exactly what meaningful participation should look like.

The Government has now announced its intention to introduce a social media ban for under-16s. The report makes clear that parents and young people often viewed this issue differently. Many parents supported stronger restrictions, while many young people were more divided, preferring a wider range of measures to improve online safety.

That difference should not be seen as a failure of consultation. In many ways, it demonstrates that consultation worked.

Meaningful engagement is not about asking people a question and automatically adopting the most popular response. Government has a responsibility to consider evidence from many different sources, weigh competing priorities and make decisions it believes are in the public interest. That is the responsibility of government.

Equally, young people have a right to know that their experiences, ideas and concerns have been genuinely heard and seriously considered alongside those of parents, researchers, professionals and policymakers.

Listening does not always mean agreeing.

But listening must always mean taking young people’s contributions seriously. Their voices should help shape the evidence, challenge assumptions and influence the decisions that affect their lives, even where Government ultimately reaches a different conclusion.

That is how better public policy is made.

One of the strongest lessons from this programme is that meaningful participation cannot be switched on overnight.

The Hack events succeeded because they were rooted in communities. Local organisations, schools and partners created trusted spaces where young people felt confident enough to speak openly. In many places, this was built on years of work through the #iWill Towns and Cities of Social Action movement, where young people are already recognised as leaders, volunteers and changemakers in their communities.

Those relationships cannot be recreated through a single consultation exercise. They require long-term investment, trusted partnerships and, above all, a genuine willingness to share power with young people.

As Government develops legislation and considers how these proposals are implemented, meaningful partnership with children and young people will become even more important. If a social media ban for under-16s is to achieve its intended outcomes, it cannot simply be something that is done to young people. It must be shaped with them.

Young people understand better than anyone how digital lives are lived, where the risks exist and what support they need to stay safe. We trust that they hold many of the answers, and their insight will be essential in ensuring that any new measures are practical, proportionate, effective and command confidence.

At Volunteering Matters, we will continue to advocate for young people to have a meaningful place around the policymaking table; not only as legislation is developed, but as it is implemented, reviewed and refined. We stand ready to work alongside Government, partners and communities to ensure young people’s voices continue to shape the policies designed to protect them.

Protecting young people online is essential. But safety and rights are not competing priorities. Young people should not have to choose between being protected from harm and being able to learn, connect, volunteer, participate, organise and build the relationships that are such an important part of modern life. Good policy should achieve both.

Whether the issue is online safety, education, climate change, health or employment, young people deserve more than the opportunity to respond to decisions that have already been made. They should be involved from the beginning, helping to shape the questions, explore the evidence, develop the solutions and play a central role in making those solutions work in practice.

The Growing Up Online consultation has shown what is possible when that happens.

The next chapter is not about whether Government should listen to young people. It is about whether we are prepared to trust them as partners in delivering the change we all want to see.

Because better decisions are made when different perspectives are heard, communities are involved and young people have a genuine seat at the table.

And because when we trust young people with real influence, we discover they already hold many of the answers.