The use of digital media is everyday life for many young people. However, as a recent study shows, young people's digital skills have deteriorated significantly.
Whether laptops, smartphones or social media: mobile devices and digital media are now an integral part of many young people's everyday lives. However, young people's digital skills seem to be getting worse and worse. At least that is the result of a current study on the status of digitalization in German schools.
Digital literacy among young people has deteriorated
The survey shows that the technical equipment in German schools has improved enormously. However, many young people apparently do not know how to use the relevant devices and information.
An official report from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) states that the digital competence of young people in Germany is above average in an international comparison. However, only a small proportion reach peak performance. A good forty percent would only have basic knowledge.
Looking at data from 2018, digital skills have actually deteriorated significantly. The skills would vary depending on the type of school. There are also clear differences in terms of social origins as well as immigration and language backgrounds.
“The challenge for all of us in the coming years will be to bring our schools from the Cretaceous Age to digital modernity,” said Cem Özdemir, Federal Minister of Education and Research. And further:
We need strong public institutions in which our children are best prepared for life. The fact that too many young people in the world's third largest economy are still unable to use digital media safely should give us pause. I am also concerned that this is linked to social and origin-specific factors. Schools should be places where the future is forged.
Financial aid from the federal government is intended to ensure improvements
According to Özdemir, in order to improve the digital skills of young people, good IT infrastructure and equipment are needed. But teachers and school management must also be able to teach children how to use digital media safely and independently.
Financial aid from the federal government should therefore be used to further develop pedagogical and media didactic aspects in the states. For the ICILS study, the computer and information-related skills of young people attending the eighth grade have been examined every five years since 2013.
A total of 35 countries worldwide are taking part in this – 22 of which are EU member states. The representative sample in Germany includes 5,065 students and 2,302 teachers from 230 schools. In various tests, the young people were supposed to show how well they can research, design, communicate and evaluate digital information.
Also interesting:
Source: https://www.basicthinking.de/blog/2024/11/13/digitalkompetenz-von-jugendlichen-schlecht/
