YAC contribution
Learn about how Telstra Foundation’s Youth Advisory Council (YAC) contributed to the development of the Australian Youth Digital Index.
Who are they?
Telstra Foundation’s Youth Advisory Council (YAC) is a diverse group of young people from 12-18 years of age. The council played a crucial role in shaping the pilot year of the Australian Youth Digital Index, by helping us to gain a deeper understanding of how young people experience digital technology and its impact on their lives.
In 2025 the YAC undertook two major projects in response to the 2024 Index results.
How did they contribute?
In response to the insights and challenges highlighted by the 2024 Australian Youth Digital Index (AYDI), the Youth Advisory Council (YAC) launched two major youth-led projects in 2025: the Sleep Challenge and the Digital Skills Project.
The Sleep Challenge was designed to address growing concerns about the impact of digital habits on young people’s sleep, encouraging participants to experiment with healthier routines and share their experiences.
Alongside this, the Digital Skills Project set out to explore and document the full spectrum of digital skills that matter most to young Australians today. Through hands-on activities, peer collaboration, and youth-led research, the YAC not only investigated how digital skills are acquired and used, but also amplified the voices and lived experiences of young people navigating an increasingly digital world. The findings of this project are included in the 2025 AYDI report.
Together, these projects reflect the YAC’s commitment to turning AYDI findings into practical action and co-designing solutions that empower their generation.
What our YAC think about their digital world
We asked our YAC to tell us about their ideal digital world and what a day in their digital life looks like and this is what they said.