Techno-optimism in the face of the digital divide: A systematic review on using mobile technologies for children’s environmental learning in the Global South

The digital divide between the Global North and South continues to shape how digital technologies are integrated into environmental and sustainability education (ESE) for children. This systematic review examines how ESE researchers have addressed the digital divide in their empirical studies on mobile technologies in the South over the past decade (2014–2024). Drawing on a comprehensive search across four databases, 19 empirical studies from nine countries spanning three continents were analysed using content analysis. While publication rates are on the rise, the findings reveal limited engagement with the structural implications of the digital divide, particularly in relation to localised environmental challenges and sociodemographic contexts. Two key themes emerge from the analysis: (1) a persistent techno-optimism despite uneven access and infrastructural gaps within the South, and (2) the community’s dual role in children’s environmental learning shaped by intergenerational dynamics and digital asymmetries. The review calls for more critically engaged, context-sensitive research that recognises the uneven digital landscapes within the Global South.