Children, youth and elderly well-being

Well-being matters at all ages, and the drivers and components of well-being can shift throughout the life course. The well-being of people at the beginning, and at the latter stages, of their lives should be an especial priority for policy makers and society. For children and young people – in addition to the overwhelming evidence attesting to the importance of well-being in early life for shaping people’s behaviour and future life outcomes - today’s children, adolescents and young adults are confronting risks and circumstances unknown to previous generations, from the long-term social and health impacts of the COVID pandemic, to the widespread consequences of climate change, and the implications of new digital technologies and online existence, including exposure to harassment, social pressures and privacy violation. In these respects, policy makers are in uncharted territory and more attention is needed to empower, support and protect children, teenagers and young adults across all areas of their well-being. In addition, as the elderly population rises in many OECD countries, better understanding their needs and the drivers and impacts of the well-being of older people is of increasing importance.

The Forum aimed to explore specific intervention examples and evidence of impacts regarding the well-being of children, young people, and the elderly throughout the event, particularly in relation to climate change and the digital transformation.

Related sessions

Below were the sessions featured at the Forum related to this theme: