Effectively engaging young people in the development of digital health platforms is essential in achieving long-term societal transformation. Structural change takes time – and to be successful, it must be continuously supported over many years. In this context, the role of the younger generation is pivotal. Youth are not only “the future”, as is often claimed – they are an integral part of the present. Their active participation can be a key driver in ensuring that initiatives to establish national health platforms – like Trusted Health Ecosystems (THE) – gain societal traction and legitimacy. Only if their perspectives, needs, and priorities are considered from the beginning, can solutions emerge that are both functional and widely accepted.

While digitalization has made health information more accessible than ever before, a large segment of the German population still struggles to engage with it meaningfully. According to Hurrelmann et al. (2020), health literacy is especially low among individuals with limited formal education or lower socioeconomic status, people aged 65 and over, and notably, among young adults aged 18 to 29. Despite being digital natives who are otherwise highly adept at navigating online environments, many young people appear to be disengaged from digital health content (Prensky 2001; Dingli and Seychell 2015). They use digital platforms – especially social media – intensively, yet they remain largely passive in the digital health space. This gap presents both a challenge and an opportunity: It is imperative to redesign digital health tools, so they meet young people where they are – and serve their real-world needs both now and in the future.

Toward meaningful youth engagement

Efforts to engage today’s youth must reflect the full diversity of their generation. Their varied backgrounds and lived experiences offer valuable perspectives that can shape and enrich policy discussions. But true engagement goes beyond participation. Young people must be involved in shaping the agenda and putting decisions into practice. When this happens – when words lead to action – one can speak of meaningful youth engagement.

Bringing young people to the table is only the beginning. Real empowerment means giving them the tools and the space to actively shape decisions. Genuine collaboration can prove successful only when there is mutual recognition, open exchange, and a shared sense of purpose.

Meaningful youth engagement: relevance and barriers

While many young people are eager to engage in policymaking, meaningful engagement remains limited by structural and practical barriers. In Germany, a majority of 16- to 30-year-olds report a strong interest in societal and political issues, with health ranking as their second most pressing concern. Yet fewer than one in five believe that individual efforts can bring about real change. Participation opportunities beyond voting are widely perceived as inadequate, and young people report feeling overlooked or dismissed by those in positions of power (Bertelsmann Stiftung 2024). Furthermore, a lack of resources and organizational backing hinders sustained involvement. Simply inviting young people to participate is not enough, especially when such invitations are not backed by financial support.

To change this, societies everywhere must invest in forms of engagement that reflect the needs and lived realities of today’s youth. The priorities identified in the inaugural Youth Declaration on Creating Healthy Societies by the WHO Youth Council (2024) offer a concrete starting point and we urge government institutions, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders to embed young people’s perspectives more systematically into decision-making processes. In addition, all societal actors must be held accountable for providing greater financial and institutional support for youth organizations – and for recognizing the value of their ideas for reform.

Co-creation in the Trusted Health Ecosystems framework

Integrating the principles of the Youth Declaration into the design of national digital health platforms is essential to ensure their long-term success. Through the vision of its Trusted Health Ecosystems (THE) framework, the Bertelsmann Stiftung can set an example in this regard. Premise 6 of the THE concept, “Ensuring cooperative product development,” underscores the importance of emphasizing user needs. This means recognizing and responding to the preferences, capabilities, and lived experiences of diverse user groups, with a particular focus on young people. Structured pathways for engagement might include interviews, surveys, and focus groups, as well as regular usability testing and real-world pilot programs. These formats help pinpoint the needs that should be reflected in the design and development of the platform.

Youth engagement in platform development

To ensure meaningful engagement in the development of national digital health platforms, opportunities for co-creation must not only be made available but also clearly communicated. Leveraging social media and disseminating information through schools, vocational institutions, and universities are key strategies to reach young people where they already are. Partnering with representative youth organizations with national member organizations such as the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (ifmsa), the International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation or the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) is even more effective. Building on existing structures facilitates access to a diverse youth demographic and strengthens long-term collaboration. Establishing a youth advisory council on the national level – following the example of the World Health Organization’s Youth Council – would provide an institutional anchor.

Its composition should follow transparent selection criteria and include a wide range of youth organizations, not only those focused on health but also those with broader societal mandates. These organizations could disseminate surveys to collect data on perceptions of the platform among their members and nominate individuals to participate in interviews and focus groups. Participant selection should be strategic and cross-organizational, ensuring that voices from different educational backgrounds, socioeconomic contexts, regions, and cultural or religious communities are represented.

Platform benefits for the next generation

A national digital health platform will only benefit young people and future generations if it reflects their priorities and expectations. To identify these, the Digital Transformations for Health Lab has conducted youth consultations at the international level. Across these engagements, young people emphasized a strong interest in preventive health areas, particularly mental health, climate-related health issues, fitness and nutrition, sexual and reproductive health, and non-communicable diseases. Participants called for digital health systems that follow a human rights-based approach. They want their health systems to be equitable, trustworthy, humanistic, ethical, and inclusive (Digital Transformations for Health Lab 2024).

To support informed decision-making, a centralized platform – a digital “one-stop shop” – is needed to offer a clear and trustworthy overview of available digital health information and services. This includes access to verified content and digital tools such as online pharmacies, teleconsultations, and certified health apps designed to promote mental well-being or encourage healthy lifestyles in areas like diet and exercise. Trust in the quality and integrity of these resources is fundamental to user engagement.

Providing users with a unified view of their personal health data and preventive tools will mark a new phase in what might be called informed well-being. Social networking and chat features, combined with gamified elements, can make health promotion more engaging and accessible. The integration of artificial intelligence and wearable devices, such as smartwatches, can allow for real-time interaction with one’s own health in daily life – and should be supported by a user-friendly and customizable interface.

Outlook and recommendations

National digital health platforms grounded in the Trusted Health Ecosystems framework hold significant potential to improve the healthcare system in the country and the digital health literacy of the population. To translate this potential into long-term impact, it is essential to ensure the meaningful engagement of younger generations in the platform’s development. By including youth voices in the design and governance of digital health infrastructure, digital natives are empowered to take an active role in managing their own health. This ensures that the solutions developed provide support where they are needed most – both now and in the future.

  

Sources

  • Bertelsmann Stiftung (2024). Junges Engagement für sozialen Wandel. Ergebnisse einer Befragung junger Menschen zu politischen Einstellungen und politischem Engagement. Gütersloh.
  • Digital Transformations for Health Lab (2024). Building a blueprint for digital first health systems: Findings from global youth consultations. Interim report. Geneva.
  • Dingli A, Seychell D (2015). Who Are the Digital Natives? The New Digital Natives. Berlin, Heidelberg.
  • Hurrelmann K, Klinger J, Schaeffer D (2020). Gesundheitskompetenz der Bevölkerung in Deutschland: Vergleich der Erhebungen 2014 und 2020. Bielefeld.
  • Prensky M (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants Part 1. On the Horizon 9 (5).
  • WHO Youth Council (2024). Youth Declaration on Creating Healthy Societies. Berlin.