Parents worried about their children’s career aspirations with majority feeling out of touch over rise of technology

PARENTS are worried about their children’s career aspirations – with 57 per cent feeling out of touch due to the rise of influencers and technology.

A poll of 1,000 parents and their children aged 11-to-17 found 59 per cent of parents admitted they’d prefer their child to have a career in a more established field, such as teaching, healthcare, or the legal sector.

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Parents feel out of touch with technology (stock image)[/caption]

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Many youngsters feel being online has opened their eyes to a variety of new careers[/caption]

However, 51 per cent of the kids polled feel their parents don’t take their career aspirations seriously.

And 50 per cent don’t believe their parents value modern careers such as being an influencer or an e-sports athlete.

This is echoed by 67 per cent of their mums and dads who fear modern jobs like these are unstable career choices.

It also emerged 69 per cent of youngsters believe being online has opened their eyes to the variety of careers that don’t follow traditional routes.

The research was commissioned by EE to explore the generational divide on what teenagers and their parents consider to be a real job – to encourage young people to follow their passions and curiosities across the creative industries and the on-screen arts.

The mobile network company and BAFTA are offering teenagers the chance to take on crew roles, across storytelling, production and direction to create a short film to be released in 2026.

Award winning Broadcaster and recipient of the 2024 BAFTA Fellowship, Baroness Floella Benjamin OM DBE, who advocates for opportunities for the next generation, said: “The definition of what highlights a successful career is evolving and very personal.

“Growing up with phones isn’t easy, but when teens are consuming social content, playing video games, and exploring the arts, they gain many creative skills.

“These activities open a window into future possibilities.

“It’s important to connect these skills to future opportunities and encourage the next generation to explore their interests in film making”.

Top job roles young people polled would like to take on included video game designers, software developers, and content creators.

It also emerged 50 per cent of kids don’t think their mums and dads understand the skills that can be learned outside of the classroom from social media, technology, and gaming.

However, results show parents can see value in these activities, with 84 per cent believing their child has gained valuable soft skills such as creativity, socialising, and empathy.

And eight in 10 also think their youngsters have gained valuable ‘hard skills’ through engaging with technology, including coding, problem-solving, and digital literacy.

Yet, 51 per cent admit to frequently worrying about their child’s future career path, according to the OnePoll.com data.

EE and BAFTA have teamed up on a campaign called Set the Stage, which will see BAFTA-nominated actor Daisy Edgar-Jones and an award-winning crew mentor a group of teenagers to create a short film.

Teens aged 15 to 17 can apply to be part of it by April 25 2025.

A spokesperson from EE added: “We are on a mission to help parents, and their children connect the dots between their teen’s curiosities and their next steps.

“Whether their teens’ interests lie in makeup, fashion, performance, or production, we want to inspire the next generation to follow their passions, explore their curiosities, and transform them into meaningful careers.”