Digital Age Is Testing How Children Are Raised and Protected, Davos Warns
At the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting, global leaders issued a stark warning that constant digital connection is quietly reshaping childhood itself, leaving many children emotionally isolated and forcing parents and governments to rethink how young people are guided and protected in an era dominated by artificial intelligence.
A powerful discussion at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026 placed an uncomfortable truth at the center of global debate. While technology and artificial intelligence have made communication instant and limitless, they have also deepened loneliness, weakened human bonds, and complicated how children learn connection, identity, and emotional safety.
During the session titled “An Honest Conversation on the Hyper-Connected and the Hyper-Lonely,” speakers argued that loneliness should no longer be viewed as a personal failing. It was described instead as a structural problem of the digital age, one with serious consequences for children’s mental health, development, and long-term wellbeing.
Experts noted that children are growing up in an environment where interaction is increasingly mediated by screens, algorithms, and AI-driven platforms. While these tools offer educational and social opportunities, they can also reduce meaningful face-to-face relationships and blur boundaries between healthy engagement and emotional dependence on technology.
From a child protection perspective, this shift matters deeply. Emotional isolation in childhood has been linked to anxiety, depression, lower academic performance, and difficulty forming healthy relationships later in life. When constant online connection replaces genuine human presence, children may struggle to develop empathy, resilience, and a sense of belonging.
What This Means for Parents
The conversation at Davos underscored that parents are now navigating territory no previous generation faced. Raising children in the age of AI requires more than limiting screen time. It demands intentional guidance.
Experts stressed that parents can help protect their children by modeling healthy technology use, prioritizing in-person relationships, and teaching children how to recognize the difference between digital interaction and real emotional connection. Conversations about online content, AI-generated material, and social media pressures were described as essential, not optional.
Parents were also encouraged to help children build emotional literacy. This includes naming feelings, managing loneliness, and learning how to seek support offline. In an AI-driven world where answers are instant, children still need adults to teach patience, critical thinking, and self-worth beyond online validation.
Most importantly, speakers emphasized that children need safe, consistent human presence. No technology can replace attentive parenting, trusted caregivers, or supportive communities.
The Role of Government in Protecting Children
The session also raised pressing questions about government responsibility. As technology evolves faster than policy, gaps in child protection are widening.
Experts called on governments to strengthen regulations around digital platforms used by children, including transparency in AI algorithms, age-appropriate design standards, and safeguards against exploitative or harmful content. Mental health support systems, particularly in schools, were identified as critical defenses against the growing loneliness crisis among young people.
Public investment in community spaces, youth programs, and family support services was also highlighted as a way to counteract digital isolation. When children and families lack safe physical spaces to connect, technology becomes the default substitute.
Speakers argued that protecting children in the AI era requires coordinated action. Policymakers, educators, health systems, and technology companies all play a role in ensuring innovation does not come at the expense of childhood wellbeing.
A Defining Challenge of the AI Era
The message from Davos was clear. Technology itself is not the enemy. The danger lies in allowing progress to outpace human values, especially when children are involved.
As artificial intelligence continues to transform daily life, the responsibility to protect children’s emotional, social, and developmental needs becomes even more urgent. Teaching children how to live well with technology, not under it, may be one of the most important child protection challenges of this generation.
In a world that is more connected than ever, the forum’s warning was simple and unsettling. Without intentional guidance, strong parenting, and thoughtful policy, children risk growing up surrounded by screens but starved for real connection.
