Context

Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) Rural 2023 shows the extent of digital literacy in the teenagers of the age group 14-18 years.

Annual Status of Education Report 2023

• The survey was conducted in 28 districts from September to November 2023.
• Purpose:  To provide insights into the digital ability of high school and college students in India.

Key Findings of ASER Report 2023

• Categorization: Students in the 14-18 age group were asked to read a paragraph based on which they were graded.
  • Word level: Those who could read the words but not the sentences.
    • More than 30% managed to find a YouTube video, browse information on the web, and set an alarm on their smartphone
  • Grade 1: Those who could read the paragraph but not a bunch of paragraphs
    • More than 55% could do all the above task
  • Grade 2: Those who could read many paragraphs
• Parameters of digital literacy: These are based on the knowledge of usage and protection aspects of digital use. While more than 90% use social media, only about 50% know how to block someone  profile or make their account private
• Accessing  youtube video: 70% or more teenagers in every district are adept in.
  • Browsing for information on internet
• Setting alarm clock:  The India average is 66.4%
  • Using google maps: The least used feature
  • To block/report a profile: Only 52.3% knew how to block a profile
  • Account privacy: Only 47.8% knew how to make their account private.
• Variations: Inequality and variation can be seen on regional and gender lines, with more males aware of the blocking and reporting features than females.

News Source: The Hindu