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Society 31-Jan, 2025

62% of kids know how to block profiles on social media, 55.2% can make accounts private: ASER

By: Shantanu Bhattacharji

62% of kids know how to block profiles on social media, 55.2% can make accounts private: ASER

Photo courtesy: Pixabay

Despite 82% of children aged 14-16 being able to use smartphones, only 57% utilise them for educational purposes, while 76% primarily engage with the devices for social media.

The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024, published by the Pratham Foundation, provides a comprehensive analysis of India’s education landscape, focusing on enrolment trends, foundational skills, and digital literacy among children aged 3-16 years. Notably, this year’s survey expanded to assess digital access and smartphone-based competencies among young students aged 14-16, reflecting the increasing role of technology in education.

Covering pre-primary (3-5 years), elementary (6-14 years), and older children (15-16 years), ASER 2024 offers district, state, and national-level insights into learning outcomes. The findings emphasise the urgent need to address disparities in digital access while reinforcing foundational literacy and numeracy skills, which remain critical for long-term educational success.

The ASER reviews digital literacy among children through surveys and practical tasks measuring their abilities. The findings reveal that 89.1 per cent of children have access to a smartphone at home, and 82.2 per cent are capable of using one.

From a gender perspective, boys have slightly higher smartphone access (90.2 per cent) compared to girls (88.1 per cent). The gap widens in smartphone usage, with 85.5 per cent of boys able to operate a smartphone, versus 79.4 per cent of girls.

As digital access grows, so does the need for cybersecurity awareness. Among children who use smartphones and social media, 62 per cent know how to block or report a profile, 55.2 per cent understand privacy settings, and 57.7 per cent can change passwords. These insights highlight the importance of digital safety education alongside expanding access.

Experts say the disparity suggests that while access is nearly universal, social and cultural factors may limit girls’ engagement with technology. Closing the digital gender gap is not just about technology—it is about economic and social empowerment. As New Delhi pushes forward with its Digital India initiative, ensuring equal digital literacy will be key to preparing the next generation for an increasingly tech-driven job market.

Despite 82 per cent of children aged 14-16 being able to use smartphones, only 57 per cent use them for educational purposes, while 76 per cent primarily engage with the device for social media. This reflects the growing challenge of guiding youth toward using digital tools more effectively for learning, amid the lure of social media platforms.

While around 82 per cent of teenagers can use smartphones, their primary use remains focused on social media, with 76 per cent engaging with platforms such as WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook. On the contrary, only 57 per cent use smartphones for educational purposes, underlining a disconnect between increased digital access and its educational application.

This year’s ASER survey reached 649,491 children across 17,997 villages in 605 rural districts, marking a significant scale of data collection. The Pratham Education Foundation, which conducted the survey, highlighted that this was the first time ASER included a section on digital literacy particularly focused on children in the 14-16 age group.

Household access to smartphones has surged from 36 per cent in 2018 to 84 per cent in 2024, showcasing a massive jump in digital penetration. Personal ownership among 14-16-year-olds has also seen significant growth, rising from 19 per cent in 2022 to 31 per cent in 2024, reflecting broader access and ownership of digital devices.

More significantly, a more focused effort is needed to bridge the digital safety gap between boys and girls, especially in rural areas where access to digital literacy programs may be limited. Also, there should be an emphasis on encouraging children to use smartphones for learning, by promoting e-learning platforms and digital resources.

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