Study: 70% of adult internet users want to develop their digital literacy

The research involved sending out online questionnaires in June 2015 to 742 respondents above the age of 18 who were members of the online research community Veva.hu.

“The results showed that 20% of adult internet users have low, 43% medium, and 37% high digital competences in the field of internet usage,” the eNET study noted. Although eNET believes devices such as tablets and smartphones are underutilized for more complex procedures beyond phone calls and checking emails, they noted that another group is emerging that makes use of smartphones and tablets not only in addition to PCs or laptops, but even instead of them.

Part of the resistance to said devices is the lack of education in their use. According to the study “two thirds of the adult internet users consider the quality and quantity of IT related education in Hungary insufficient.” The majority of Hungarians have acquired knowledge of technological devices through “self-learning” and 70% of respondents feel it is important to continue developing these skills.

Regarding internet usage in a family setting, 69% of respondents regularly discuss the opportunities and threats of digitalization with their children and offer advice on how to use the relevant devices. Two thirds of respondents have rules on how children are to use digital devices and parental controls are used in most of these households.

Nearly 90% of parents surveyed would like to gain more knowledge about the opportunities and threats of the digital world given the opportunity, so that they are able to help their children use the internet more consciously and safely, the study added.