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A Pandemic for the Good of Digital Literacy? An Empirical Investigation of Newly Improved Digital Skills during COVID-19 Lockdowns

German Neubaum, Irene-Angelica Chounta, Eva Gredel, David Wiesche

TL;DR

This paper investigates whether COVID-19-induced digital transformation closed or widened the second-level digital divide in digital skills using a preregistered survey of 1,143 German Internet users. It operationalizes digital skills along five dimensions based on the DigComp framework and analyzes demographic determinants, psychological consequences, and public views on future skills and fostering institutions. The results show that the pandemic amplified existing advantages, with younger, male, and higher-educated users reporting greater skill gains, particularly in communication and information-seeking, and that these gains correlated with both positive and negative psychological effects, though positive effects were stronger. The study highlights policy and educational implications for sustaining equitable digital skill development and for addressing misinformation and AI-enabled technologies in a digitally transforming society.

Abstract

This research explores whether the rapid digital transformation due to COVID-19 managed to close or exacerbate the digital divide concerning users' digital skills. We conducted a pre-registered survey with N = 1143 German Internet users. Our findings suggest the latter: younger, male, and higher educated users were more likely to improve their digital skills than older, female, and less educated ones. According to their accounts, the pandemic helped Internet users improve their skills in communicating with others by using video conference software and reflecting critically upon information they found online. These improved digital skills exacerbated not only positive (e.g., feeling informed and safe) but also negative (e.g., feeling lonely) effects of digital media use during the pandemic. We discuss this research's theoretical and practical implications regarding the impact of challenges, such as technological disruption and health crises, on humans' digital skills, capabilities, and future potential, focusing on the second-level digital divide.

A Pandemic for the Good of Digital Literacy? An Empirical Investigation of Newly Improved Digital Skills during COVID-19 Lockdowns

TL;DR

This paper investigates whether COVID-19-induced digital transformation closed or widened the second-level digital divide in digital skills using a preregistered survey of 1,143 German Internet users. It operationalizes digital skills along five dimensions based on the DigComp framework and analyzes demographic determinants, psychological consequences, and public views on future skills and fostering institutions. The results show that the pandemic amplified existing advantages, with younger, male, and higher-educated users reporting greater skill gains, particularly in communication and information-seeking, and that these gains correlated with both positive and negative psychological effects, though positive effects were stronger. The study highlights policy and educational implications for sustaining equitable digital skill development and for addressing misinformation and AI-enabled technologies in a digitally transforming society.

Abstract

This research explores whether the rapid digital transformation due to COVID-19 managed to close or exacerbate the digital divide concerning users' digital skills. We conducted a pre-registered survey with N = 1143 German Internet users. Our findings suggest the latter: younger, male, and higher educated users were more likely to improve their digital skills than older, female, and less educated ones. According to their accounts, the pandemic helped Internet users improve their skills in communicating with others by using video conference software and reflecting critically upon information they found online. These improved digital skills exacerbated not only positive (e.g., feeling informed and safe) but also negative (e.g., feeling lonely) effects of digital media use during the pandemic. We discuss this research's theoretical and practical implications regarding the impact of challenges, such as technological disruption and health crises, on humans' digital skills, capabilities, and future potential, focusing on the second-level digital divide.

Paper Structure

This paper contains 20 sections, 2 figures, 3 tables.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Related Work
  3. The multidimensionality of digital skills
  4. The unequal distribution of digital skills
  5. Method
  6. Survey Instrument
  7. Participants
  8. Results
  9. Prevalence of improved digital skills due to the pandemic
  10. Which socio-demographic factors are associated with improvements in digital skills during the pandemic? (RQ1)
  11. How did newly improved digital skills exacerbate or attenuate the psychological effects of the pandemic? (RQ2)
  12. Which are the digital skills of tomorrow from the public’s point of view? (RQ3)
  13. Who - in Internet users’ view - is responsible for fostering these digital skills? (RQ4)
  14. Discussion
  15. COVID-19 and the second-level digital divide: A few beneficiaries, but no disadvantaged
  16. ...and 5 more sections

Figures (2)

  • Figure 1: Descriptive means across six age groups concerning improved digital skills during the pandemic
  • Figure 2: Descriptive overview of who is/should be responsible for fostering individuals’ digital skills.