Government services are failing to engage digital natives, and platforms like MyGov are even a source of anxiety for the post 1997 generation, according to a new survey on how younger generations perceive government platforms.

The Gen One Report, based on surveys of 1,500 Australians, raises concerns that current public sector services are still primarily designed for older generations, according to brand consultants R/GA who undertook the research.

Digital natives have never known a world without the internet. They will inherit the world from digital adopters, or digital immigrants –  those who weren’t born into the digital age but have been forced to adapt.

 “Public sector organisations have to step up to meet the expectations of Australia’s largest demographic,” Executive Director of R/GA Public Practice Tish Karunarathna says.

Because they grew up with the internet, mobile phones and computers, digital natives are comfortable with multitasking, rely on graphics for communication and thrive on instant gratification.

They expect interactions to be fluid, intuitive, and integrated into their lifestyle and are more engaged by services that provide responsive and personalised information, the survey shows.

“These behaviours are early signs of what will become widespread practices and set the groundwork for digital experiences,” the report says.

Legacy of robodebt

Digital natives dislike chatbots, prefer to use search over navigation and favour speeding up audio and video content, the report finds.

“The report is a pivotal call to action for public sector organisations, urging them to radically reconsider their digital engagement strategies to better connect with all Australians,” R/GA says.

It also found digital natives want public sector organisations to address issues of inequity and disadvantage, with 82 per cent struggling with cost of living, student debt, rent and housing stress, and a reduced capacity to save.

We must embrace the unique digital fluency of (digital natives) to revolutionise public sector engagement, ensuring these interfaces are not sources of unease, but of trust and efficiency.

Gen One Report, R/GA

And even though digital natives are used to sharing – and oversharing – information online, recent events like robodebt have raised concerns about how the government manages data, R/GA says.

“(When you get a notification saying) you have a new message in your My Gov inbox, those sorts of messages to be horrifying, horrifying, a horrifying message to receive… you never know what it could be and given robodebt, you always think it’s gonna be something bad,” one respondent said.

The younger generation is less trusting of the government as custodian of their personal data than digital adopters, particularly for service history (54 per cent compared to 63 per cent) and location data (54 per cent versus 64 per cent).

“They are worried about security gaps and seek more robust assurances for the safety of their credentials and interactions with automated government communications,” R/GB says.

“This emphasises the importance of implementing more trust-building practices”.

Emotional design and hyper-personalisation

R/GA says while life stage-driven service design has made government-to-citizen interactions better, there is still a need for improvement to meet the specific needs and preferences of digital natives.

This means the public sector needs to explore innovative approaches in service and interaction design to meet the evolving needs of digital natives.

That includes emotional design, ethical gamification, and hyper-personalisation, representing a move towards digital government services that prioritise relationships, cultural sensitivity, and seamless support with minimal barriers.

“Persisting with a digital adopter-centric design approach risks alienating Gen One and limiting technological adoption,” says Group Strategy Director Stephen Naimo.

“We must embrace the unique digital fluency of (digital natives) to revolutionise public sector engagement, ensuring these interfaces are not sources of unease, but of trust and efficiency.”