Creating Confidence, Connection and Creativity in a Digital World

Young people today are growing up in a world that is more connected digitally than ever before. Social media, online gaming, streaming and messaging platforms have transformed the way young people communicate, entertain themselves and build friendships. There are many positive aspects to this digital world, but there is also a growing need to make sure that online connection does not come at the expense of meaningful, face-to-face experiences.

For young people to grow in confidence, develop resilience and discover who they are, they need opportunities to spend time with other people, try new things, take risks in a safe environment and discover interests beyond what is presented to them on a screen.

The changing way young people connect

Digital technology is now a central part of childhood and adolescence. Ofcom’s latest research found that 99% of 8–17-year-olds go online, while 72% play games online. Social media and video-sharing services are also deeply embedded in young people’s everyday lives.

Online spaces can undoubtedly help young people maintain friendships. Ofcom found that almost three-quarters of 13–17-year-olds who use social media and messaging platforms say these services help them feel closer to their friends.

The issue, therefore, is not that young people use technology. It is that we need to ensure that digital interaction is complemented by opportunities for real-world connection.

Ofcom’s research also highlights a diminishing role for traditional offline activities, with much children’s media consumption now taking place through phones, social media and games.

Gaming itself can be highly social, but Ofcom reports that more than half of children who play online games interact at least sometimes with people they have never met in person. There is a difference between being connected and feeling connected.

The pressure to fit in

Alongside the amount of time spent online comes another challenge: the pressure to conform.

Social media can create powerful ideas about what is popular, successful, attractive or “normal”. Young people are continually exposed to the interests, lifestyles and opinions of their peers, influencers and online communities. The algorithms that determine what appears in our feeds can also repeatedly show us similar types of content.

Gaming communities can have their own expectations, trends and cultures. For some young people, belonging to a particular online community can be extremely important. But there is a risk that the pressure to fit in can discourage young people from exploring interests that sit outside the mainstream.

This matters because confidence does not simply come from being good at something that everybody else is doing. It can come from discovering something that is uniquely yours.

A young person who thinks they are “not creative”, for example, may never discover music, theatre, poetry, photography, dance, painting or performance unless somebody creates an opportunity for them to try it.

Where are the creative opportunities?

The arts can provide something particularly valuable: a reason to come together.

Making music, performing on stage, creating artwork, writing poetry or taking part in theatre requires young people to communicate, listen, collaborate and respond to one another. It gives them the opportunity to be seen and heard, while also learning to appreciate the talents and perspectives of others.

Yet opportunities to participate in the arts are not necessarily equally accessible to everyone. Cost, confidence, transport, awareness and simply knowing where to begin can all become barriers.

That is why accessible community spaces matter.

Hull already has strong examples of what can happen when young people are given opportunities to participate creatively. Hull City Council’s Creative Voice programme provides young people with access to music, dance, theatre and visual arts, including opportunities to perform at events.

The National Art and Design Saturday Club at Ferens Art Gallery and Hull College similarly provides 13–16-year-olds with practical creative experiences, helping them develop skills, confidence and friendships.

These opportunities demonstrate an important principle: confidence can be built through participation.

The power of performing together

There is something special about a live creative event that cannot easily be replicated online.

Standing alongside other young people, rehearsing together, sharing ideas, waiting backstage, hearing an audience respond and finally completing a performance creates a shared experience.

It can be daunting. That is precisely why it can be so powerful.

In 2025, Hull’s Creative Voice Youth Arts Festival showcased young people’s drama, comedy and monologue work. Sixteen members of Just Drama Youth Theatre performed to an audience of more than 60 people, with nine of the young performers having never performed publicly before. The programme reported improvements in confidence, resilience and self-esteem, while families described the changes they had seen in young people who had previously struggled with social connection.

This is the potential of creative participation. A young person does not simply learn how to perform; they learn that their voice matters.

Rooted in Hull: creating a space to connect

This is where the work of Rooted in Hull becomes particularly important.

Rooted already recognises the power of bringing people together through creativity. Its programme of creative events includes live music, poetry, arts and crafts, and other community activities. Rooted describes these events as moments when the site comes alive with people, creating opportunities for conversation, companionship and creative engagement. At Rooted in Hull, our

approach is particularly valuable because creativity becomes one of the starting points for building relationships. People do not necessarily have to arrive with the intention of discussing loneliness, confidence or wellbeing. They can simply come to listen to music, perform, make something, eat together or meet someone new whilst sowing some seeds or chopping some veggies.

The conversation can happen naturally, we see the evidence present itself every week whether we have a scheduled event or not.

For young people, this can be incredibly important. A live creative event provides an environment in which they can interact with people outside their immediate friendship group, discover different interests and see that there are many ways of expressing themselves.

It also provides something increasingly precious: a shared experience in a physical place.

Making room for difference

Perhaps one of the most important things we can offer young people is permission to be different.

A healthy community should not expect every young person to enjoy the same music, play the same games, follow the same influencers or pursue the same interests. Diversity of interests is something to celebrate, not something to suppress.

Creative events can open that door.

One young person might discover spoken-word poetry, (former world slam poetry champion, Harry Baker performs with us every year). Another might find a love of live music. Someone else might want to perform, paint, dance, write, photograph or simply help behind the scenes.

Rooted’s events provide a platform for these different interests to exist alongside one another. The result is not simply entertainment. It is an opportunity for people to encounter different ideas, different talents and different personalities.

That matters because social connection is strengthened when people have places where they can meet others without having to conform first.

From isolation to belonging

We should be careful not to suggest that technology is solely responsible for loneliness or that young people would automatically be happier if they simply spent less time online. The reality is more complicated.

Digital technology can support friendships, creativity, learning and self-expression. But it should be part of a young person’s world rather than the only place where connection happens.

Sport England highlights the importance of positive, enjoyable experiences in building young people’s confidence and encouraging future participation, while also recognising the importance of creating quality spaces and inclusive opportunities within communities.

This is exactly why regular live creative events matter.

When a young person walks into a venue and sees other young people performing, creating, talking and enjoying themselves, they are being shown another possibility. When they take part themselves, they begin to develop confidence. When they return regularly, familiar faces become friendships. When they perform, they discover that their contribution has value.

Over time, these small moments can create a much stronger sense of belonging.

Why Rooted’s live events matter

Regular creative events at Rooted in Hull cannot solve every challenge facing young people, and they should not be expected to. But they can provide something that is increasingly valuable: an accessible opportunity to put the phone down, step outside, meet other people and create something together.

We provide opportunities to:

 

• build confidence by trying something new.
• develop friendships through shared experiences;
• discover creative interests beyond mainstream trends.
• interact with people from different backgrounds;
• develop teamwork and communication skills;
• experience the excitement of live performance.
• have a reason to spend time together away from screens.
• feel that they have a meaningful place within their community.

Most importantly, at Rooted in Hull we can help challenge isolation by creating regular occasions when people know they are welcome.

Our own experience is that creative events bring people together and can create conversations, connections and opportunities for people who might otherwise remain socially isolated.

That makes every live event more than an event.

It becomes an invitation.

An invitation to participate.

An invitation to be creative.

An invitation to meet someone new.

An invitation to be heard and for a young person who is struggling to find their place in an increasingly digital world. That invitation could be the beginning of something much bigger: confidence, friendship, creativity and a genuine sense of belonging.

If we want young people to build strong relationships in their communities, we need to give them places where those relationships can grow. Rooted in Hull strives to be one of those places.