In the Children’s Commissioner’s Big Ambition, only 22% of young people agreed that people who run the country listened to what they had to say – the most negatively answered question in the survey. This paints a clear picture that despite the constant discussion about ‘youth voice’, most young people still feel ignored.
However, in recent years, we have also seen a rise in youth participation groups, advisory panels, and consultation events at both local and national levels. From youth parliaments to charity advisory boards, young people are getting a seat at the table more often than ever before. The question is whether these invitations actually translate into real, meaningful influence or whether they remain tokenistic gestures that look good on paper but change little.
In 2026, youth voice matters more than ever. From pressures in education and mental health to the impact of social media, AI, the cost of living crisis and widening inequalities, young people have a first hand understanding of what growing up today actually feels like. Adults often make decisions shaped by budgets, bureaucracy, or their own childhood experiences from decades ago, which means that they can easily misjudge what young people actually need. By contrast, young people can identify practical solutions that reflect real life rather than assumptions. Their perspectives are not weighed down by ‘how things have always been done’, and that makes their insight honest and innovative. When decision makers genuinely listen to young people – not just give them a seat at the table – policies become more effective, accessible and grounded in lived experience.
However, despite the growing number of youth panels and participation groups, the reality is that much youth voice work in 2026 still falls into tokenistic participation rather than genuine influence. Young people are often invited into meetings, consultations or workshops where decisions have already been made, leaving their contributions as little more than a formality. Adults may listen politely, take notes and thank young people for their time, but the ideas rarely leave the room or shape the final outcome. In many cases, youth voice becomes a tick box exercise – something organisations feel they should do to appear inclusive, rather than a process designed to shift thinking or redistribute power.
A major issue is that young people are frequently expected to give their time, labour and lived experience for free. This reinforces the idea that being heard is a privilege rather than a fundamental right. Yet under Article 12 of the UNCRC, every child has the right to express their views and have those views taken seriously in all matters affecting them. When young people are unpaid, undervalued or treated as optional extras, it sends a clear message that their insights are welcome only when convenient. Young people frequently talk about the exhaustion of sharing the same experiences over and over, revisiting identical conversations with new groups of adults, only to feel the discussion resets each time rather than moving forward.
This creates a frustrating gap between being heard and being listened to.
Another key reason why young people still don’t feel heard in 2026, is that many adults still approach youth consultation in a way that appears inclusive rather than meaningfully collaborative. Organisations often want young people present because it signals openness, but not because they are prepared to rethink decisions or share power. Even when policy makers genuinely want to hear from and work with young people, conversations are often not accessible or lose value when adults default to protecting deadlines and control. Policy spaces are built around adult schedules, adult language and adult expectations – which means that young people are expected to just ‘slot in’ rather than shape the process.
These structural barriers show that tokenism isn’t caused by a lack of enthusiasm from young people, but by systems that were never designed with them in mind.
If tokenistic consultation shows what youth voice shouldn’t be, meaningful youth influence shows what it can be. Real participation starts with involving young people from the beginning – not simply commenting on what adults have already decided. This requires clear roles where young people understand how their input will be used and what decisions they can genuinely shape.
Meaningful youth influence also relies on adults treating young people as partners rather than symbolic add ons. That means creating processes that are accessible, supported and designed with young people in mind. Young people should receive proper preparation, emotional support and practical adjustments (eg. flexible timings, plain-language documents) so that participation is possible rather than performative. Crucially, meaningful youth voice includes feedback loops so young people can see how their contributions have influenced decisions, and where they haven’t, with honest explanations.
Above all, meaningful youth influence is long‑term, not a one‑off event or a photo opportunity. It is built on relationships, trust and continuity. This is the difference between consultation – where young people are asked for views – and co‑production, where power, responsibility and decision‑making are shared. Co‑production recognises young people as experts in their own lives, and it also acknowledges that their time and expertise deserve fair compensation, not just appreciation. When organisations commit to this, youth voice stops being symbolic and becomes a driver of real, lasting change.
A seat at the table only matters if young people are allowed to speak, challenge, and influence what happens next. When youth voice is taken seriously, it leads to better, fairer policy. The question isn’t whether young people should be at the table, but whether adults are willing to share the power that comes with it.
Really engaging. Very well written and incisteful.