A new survey reveals that while 57% of children aged 14-16 use smartphones for educational purposes, a significantly higher 76% access social media on their devices, according to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024 released on Tuesday.

The report found that over 82% of children in this age group know how to use a smartphone, with boys more likely than girls to own one. Conducted by Pratham, ASER 2024 surveyed 6,49,491 children across 17,997 villages in 605 rural districts of India, focusing on education and digital literacy.

For the first time, the survey included a digital literacy section, assessing smartphone access, ownership, and usage, along with basic digital skills.

Key findings include:

• 82.2% of 14-16-year-olds know how to use a smartphone.
• 57% used it for education in the past week, while 76% used it for social media.
• Smartphone usage for education was similar among boys and girls, but fewer girls (73.4%) reported using social media compared to boys (78.8%).
• Kerala had the highest smartphone usage, with 80% using it for education and 90% for social media.

Smartphone ownership among teens remains low but increases with age:

• 27% of 14-year-olds and 37.8% of 16-year-olds own a smartphone.
• A gender gap persists, with 36.2% of boys owning a smartphone compared to 26.9% of girls across all states.

Household smartphone access has risen dramatically, from 36% in 2018 to 84% in 2024. While home access is nearly saturated, smartphone ownership among 14-16-year-olds jumped from 19% to 31% in just one year.

During the pandemic, smartphones became essential for education, delivering study materials and virtual training. While some practices have faded, digital skills persist, with growing interest in artificial intelligence, the report noted.

Source: PTI

Also read: COVID-era rise in govt school enrolment reversed; learning loss recovered: ASER