The goal is clear: Germans should get fit for digitization. The way there is less, as a large study by the D21 initiative now shows. Most people are now able to use electronic devices such as smartphones. Even most people over 70 can now send photos from their smartphone.
But when it comes to understanding the connections behind it, it looks bleak. Above all, people with a low level of education and the elderly do not understand enough about it. Less educated people, for example, use a single password for various Internet services much more often – although that is very dangerous and should actually be known.
It also looks bad when it comes to assessing the seriousness of sources. More educated people are much more likely to consult multiple sources of a news item than less educated internet users. According to the study, this makes them more likely to be victims of disinformation campaigns and, in the worst case, leads to drifting into a parallel world. This is “a serious threat to social cohesion and our democracy”.
Many younger and better educated people also have deficits in their skills in dealing with the digital world. For example, only two out of five online users can set up a video conference. And only 14 percent of those surveyed say they have mastered a programming language. The differences between people who work in offices and other employees are also clear. On average, office workers find it much easier to use digital technology.