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85% of French Internet users consider themselves comfortable on the Internet... digital skills are still correlated with the level of education

Published on 24 July 2017
Update on 26 September 2022
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Summary

Beyond professional and educational activities, which require mastery and rapid adaptation to diverse and varied uses of digital tools, a whole series of digital skills are increasingly necessary to participate and take full advantage of all aspects of the digital society."To ride the digital social elevator, we must start by knowing how to manipulate the fundamental tools and concepts of the digital world in which we live" (Conseil National du numérique).

There are many initiatives to measure digital skills.

The digital skills of the French are in the European average

The European Commission has developed aDigital Skills Indicator based on 21 activities in 4 domains (information, communication, content creation and manipulation, problem solving). This index makes it possible to exploit and put into perspective the data collected in the framework of the annual EU survey on ICT use by households and individuals. Eurostat applied this analysis grid to the data from the EU surveys conducted in 2015 and 2016.

According to this index, the proportion of French people who have digital skills (85%), whatever their level (low, basic, advanced), is above the European average (78%).

The proportion of French people who declare "basic" and "advanced" skills (57%), on the other hand, is within the European average (55%).

85% of Internet users in France are comfortable on the Internet

The Capacity survey, conducted in 2016 by the Groupement d'Intérêt Scientifique (GIS) M@rsouin, with the support of the Agence du numérique, incorporated a series of questions to identify the digital skills of the 2,000 respondents.

Among Internet users, 32% consider themselves very comfortable, 53% comfortable and 13% not very comfortable.

The skills component of this survey took into account 21 activities, divided into five types of digital skills: operational, informational, social, creative and mobile. Internet users were asked to rate their skills on a scale of 4: "This looks like me, This looks like me quite well, This looks like me quite a bit, This looks like me not at all".

The table of perceived skill levels does not reveal any surprises.

The skills declared by a very large majority of people (total of the answers "it looks a little like me" and "it looks a lot like me") correspond, for the most part, to the most commonly practiced digital uses: these are uses that have been rooted for many years, such as e-mail (sending an e-mail, attaching a document to an e-mail), using search engines (easily finding the right keywords, searching for information online) or more recent but commonplace uses such as participating in social networks (controlling with whom I share content or information, registering on a social network by completing my profile and setting it up) or searching for directions and geolocation.

Among the skills declared by a very large majority are, in addition, those that are very directly related to the basic functions of the computer (opening a downloaded file, connecting to a WIFI network, downloading and installing software on a computer) or the smartphone (installing applications on a smartphone).

Among the skills that are mastered by only a minority or a very narrow minority are four of the five skills that the Capacity survey describes as "creative": putting content online (40%), creating something new from images, music, or videos (39%), creating a website (14%), or coding (programming) in a computer language (9%).

Further examination of the responses reveals significant differences by gender, age, education, and income levels. Further analysis and publication of the Capacity survey results will be undertaken in the coming months by the Capacity team. Note that the survey data are available as reusable files on data.gouv.fr and from ShinyMarsouin in CSV format.

Digital skill levels strongly correlated with education level

From the set of questions on the different types of skills (operational, informal, social, creative, and mobile) in the Capacity survey, the Marsoin SIG researchers calculated a four-level digital skills score. This score was constructed by summing the responses to assign a score from 1 to 21 to each respondent).

Initial analyses highlight a gap in skill levels by level of education:

  • Nearly 60% of Internet users with a college education are at the lowest level of digital skills, while only 15% of Internet users with a college degree are at the highest level.
  • Conversely, only 13% of Internet users with a college education (and 14% with a CAP-BEP) are in the higher level of digital skills (level 4), while 37% of Internet users with a university degree are in this category.

Perceived skills and user profiles

This skill score was used by the authors of the Capacity survey to build 4 profiles of Internet users.

The hyperconnected (31% of Internet users) have many computer skills and are very comfortable with the Internet. They use the Internet as a tool for learning, communication, entertainment, information and consumption. A portion of them have a certificate attesting to their digital competence such as C2i (30%). This class has a rather young population: 28% 18-24 years old and 29% 25-34 years old, with an overrepresentation of students (23% in this class against 10% in the French population). This is also the case for executives (19%) and intermediate professions (21%). Their level of study is mainly in higher education (short for 29%, long for 37%). Finally, the population of this class is rather male (61% men and 39% women).The digital "utilitarians" (38% of Internet users) declare themselves comfortable in their use of the Internet and declare good computer skills. Generally speaking, they use the Internet less intensively than the "hyperconnected". This class is predominantly female (59% female). Employees are the most numerous and are slightly over-represented (22% compared to 17% in the total population), as well as 35-49 year olds (32% compared to 28%) and those with a CAP/BEP level of education (29% compared to 25%).Traditional" Internet users (17% of Internet users) have a fairly low skill level, when considering all the tasks they say they can do online, but they nevertheless feel comfortable using the Internet (70%). They use the Internet primarily for communication and information purposes. Some of them also use it for entertainment and learning, although the diversity of their practices for these purposes is smaller than for the previous profiles. Their digital practices are close to the traditional uses of the Internet.

This class is made up of relatively old people, with an overrepresentation of people over 65 (35% vs. 15% in the total population), 50-64 (38% vs. 24%). Retirees are therefore over-represented (38% versus 18%).

Remote Internet users" (14% of Internet users) are distinguished by their low level of comfort with the Internet: they say they know how to do far fewer tasks on the Internet than other Internet users, and the majority of them (63%) do not feel comfortable using the Internet. They use it for entertainment and learning, and somewhat less for consumption, information or communication. This population is, like the previous class, rather old: 33% are over 65 years old and 39% between 50 and 64 years old. Their level of education is rather low: 26% have an elementary or middle school level, 40% a CAP/BEP level. Retired people are over-represented (34%) as well as people without professional activity (16%) and workers (20%).

Nearly one in five French people have passed a certification

According to the Capacity survey, 14.5% of Internet users have passed a certification (or diploma) attesting to their computer skills (e.g. B2i, C2i, Multimedia Internet Passport, Internet Visa, etc.).

Among those who have taken a certification, 18% did so as part of their studies in computer science, 70% because it was an obligation within the framework of school/university, 6% because it was an obligation within the framework of a job search, 6% because it was proposed to them by a public structure (CAF, Pôle emploi, association, or other). 10.5% wanted to take this (or these) certification(s), voluntarily, to improve their skills or to have more chances on the job market.

Références :

Sources

85% of French Internet users consider themselves comfortable on the Internet... digital skills are still correlated with the level of education

Beyond professional and educational activities, which require mastery and rapid adaptation to diverse and varied uses of digital tools, a whole series of digital skills are increasingly necessary to participate and take full advantage of all aspects of the digital society."To ride the digital social elevator, we must start by knowing how to manipulate the fundamental tools and concepts of the digital world in which we live" (Conseil National du numérique).

There are many initiatives to measure digital skills.

The digital skills of the French are in the European average

The European Commission has developed aDigital Skills Indicator based on 21 activities in 4 domains (information, communication, content creation and manipulation, problem solving). This index makes it possible to exploit and put into perspective the data collected in the framework of the annual EU survey on ICT use by households and individuals. Eurostat applied this analysis grid to the data from the EU surveys conducted in 2015 and 2016.

According to this index, the proportion of French people who have digital skills (85%), whatever their level (low, basic, advanced), is above the European average (78%).

The proportion of French people who declare "basic" and "advanced" skills (57%), on the other hand, is within the European average (55%).

85% of Internet users in France are comfortable on the Internet

The Capacity survey, conducted in 2016 by the Groupement d'Intérêt Scientifique (GIS) M@rsouin, with the support of the Agence du numérique, incorporated a series of questions to identify the digital skills of the 2,000 respondents.

Among Internet users, 32% consider themselves very comfortable, 53% comfortable and 13% not very comfortable.

The skills component of this survey took into account 21 activities, divided into five types of digital skills: operational, informational, social, creative and mobile. Internet users were asked to rate their skills on a scale of 4: "This looks like me, This looks like me quite well, This looks like me quite a bit, This looks like me not at all".

The table of perceived skill levels does not reveal any surprises.

The skills declared by a very large majority of people (total of the answers "it looks a little like me" and "it looks a lot like me") correspond, for the most part, to the most commonly practiced digital uses: these are uses that have been rooted for many years, such as e-mail (sending an e-mail, attaching a document to an e-mail), using search engines (easily finding the right keywords, searching for information online) or more recent but commonplace uses such as participating in social networks (controlling with whom I share content or information, registering on a social network by completing my profile and setting it up) or searching for directions and geolocation.

Among the skills declared by a very large majority are, in addition, those that are very directly related to the basic functions of the computer (opening a downloaded file, connecting to a WIFI network, downloading and installing software on a computer) or the smartphone (installing applications on a smartphone).

Among the skills that are mastered by only a minority or a very narrow minority are four of the five skills that the Capacity survey describes as "creative": putting content online (40%), creating something new from images, music, or videos (39%), creating a website (14%), or coding (programming) in a computer language (9%).

Further examination of the responses reveals significant differences by gender, age, education, and income levels. Further analysis and publication of the Capacity survey results will be undertaken in the coming months by the Capacity team. Note that the survey data are available as reusable files on data.gouv.fr and from ShinyMarsouin in CSV format.

Digital skill levels strongly correlated with education level

From the set of questions on the different types of skills (operational, informal, social, creative, and mobile) in the Capacity survey, the Marsoin SIG researchers calculated a four-level digital skills score. This score was constructed by summing the responses to assign a score from 1 to 21 to each respondent).

Initial analyses highlight a gap in skill levels by level of education:

  • Nearly 60% of Internet users with a college education are at the lowest level of digital skills, while only 15% of Internet users with a college degree are at the highest level.
  • Conversely, only 13% of Internet users with a college education (and 14% with a CAP-BEP) are in the higher level of digital skills (level 4), while 37% of Internet users with a university degree are in this category.

Perceived skills and user profiles

This skill score was used by the authors of the Capacity survey to build 4 profiles of Internet users.

The hyperconnected (31% of Internet users) have many computer skills and are very comfortable with the Internet. They use the Internet as a tool for learning, communication, entertainment, information and consumption. A portion of them have a certificate attesting to their digital competence such as C2i (30%). This class has a rather young population: 28% 18-24 years old and 29% 25-34 years old, with an overrepresentation of students (23% in this class against 10% in the French population). This is also the case for executives (19%) and intermediate professions (21%). Their level of study is mainly in higher education (short for 29%, long for 37%). Finally, the population of this class is rather male (61% men and 39% women).The digital "utilitarians" (38% of Internet users) declare themselves comfortable in their use of the Internet and declare good computer skills. Generally speaking, they use the Internet less intensively than the "hyperconnected". This class is predominantly female (59% female). Employees are the most numerous and are slightly over-represented (22% compared to 17% in the total population), as well as 35-49 year olds (32% compared to 28%) and those with a CAP/BEP level of education (29% compared to 25%).Traditional" Internet users (17% of Internet users) have a fairly low skill level, when considering all the tasks they say they can do online, but they nevertheless feel comfortable using the Internet (70%). They use the Internet primarily for communication and information purposes. Some of them also use it for entertainment and learning, although the diversity of their practices for these purposes is smaller than for the previous profiles. Their digital practices are close to the traditional uses of the Internet.

This class is made up of relatively old people, with an overrepresentation of people over 65 (35% vs. 15% in the total population), 50-64 (38% vs. 24%). Retirees are therefore over-represented (38% versus 18%).

Remote Internet users" (14% of Internet users) are distinguished by their low level of comfort with the Internet: they say they know how to do far fewer tasks on the Internet than other Internet users, and the majority of them (63%) do not feel comfortable using the Internet. They use it for entertainment and learning, and somewhat less for consumption, information or communication. This population is, like the previous class, rather old: 33% are over 65 years old and 39% between 50 and 64 years old. Their level of education is rather low: 26% have an elementary or middle school level, 40% a CAP/BEP level. Retired people are over-represented (34%) as well as people without professional activity (16%) and workers (20%).

Nearly one in five French people have passed a certification

According to the Capacity survey, 14.5% of Internet users have passed a certification (or diploma) attesting to their computer skills (e.g. B2i, C2i, Multimedia Internet Passport, Internet Visa, etc.).

Among those who have taken a certification, 18% did so as part of their studies in computer science, 70% because it was an obligation within the framework of school/university, 6% because it was an obligation within the framework of a job search, 6% because it was proposed to them by a public structure (CAF, Pôle emploi, association, or other). 10.5% wanted to take this (or these) certification(s), voluntarily, to improve their skills or to have more chances on the job market.

Références :

Sources

Labo Société Numérique

Labo République Française Agence nationale de cohésion des territoires
85% of French Internet users consider themselves comfortable on the Internet... digital skills are still correlated with the level of education