76% kids aged 14-15 using smartphones for social media, usage more among boys than girls: Report

The report noted that more than 82 per cent of the children in the said age group know how to use a smartphone and more boys than girls own one

A report on education in India revealed that 76 per cent of children in the age group of 14-16 use smartphone devices for accessing social media while over 57 per cent use them for educational purposes.

The use of a smartphone for educational activities was similar among girls and boys, the report said. (Pexels)

The annual Status of Education Report (ASER), which was released on Tuesday, shed light on the increasing penetration of digital technology into the lives of young people in rural areas.

The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024 is a nationwide rural household survey that reached 6,49,491 children in 17,997 villages across 605 rural districts in India.

Facilitated by an NGO, "Pratham", in each surveyed district, a local organisation or institution conducted the survey.

‘Usage among girls lesser than boys’: Key findings in the report:

• More than 57 per cent of children in the 14-16 age group use smartphones for educational purposes, while 76 per cent of them use the device for accessing social media, the report said.
• The report noted that more than 82 per cent of the children in the said age group know how to use a smartphone and more boys than girls own one.
• The use of a smartphone for educational activities was similar among girls and boys, girls were less likely than boys to report using social media (78.8 per cent of boys as compared to 73.4 per cent of girls)".
• Kerala stands out in this respect, with over 80 per cent of children who reported that they used a smartphone for educational activities and over 90 per cent using it for social media, the report said.

• The ASER also noted that the fraction of 14-16-year-olds who own smartphones is low, but it increases with age.
• According to the report, in 2018, nearly 90 per cent of rural households had simple mobile phones and 36 per cent had smartphones.
• In 2022, the number of households with smartphones had risen to more than 74 per cent and this year, it has grown to 84 per cent.

What does the report say about use of digital devices during Covid-19?

According to the report, the main use of smartphones during the Covid-19 pandemic period was that of a carrier of texts, worksheets and videos, which substituted for textbooks.

The pandemic made virtual training sessions common among young digital media users as well.

As the pandemic faded away, the digital skills learned during the period sustained, although some of the practices became less important and a new excitement began to build around artificial intelligence, the report further said.

(With PTI inputs)