Low level of internet skills is alarming

13 December 2010

More and more information and services are currently available via the internet, and sometimes only available in this way. Because of this the internet is becoming an increasingly important aspect of our everyday lives, so people who do not have the necessary skills to cope with computers and the internet are put at a disadvantage.
Alexander van Deursen of the University of Twente's IBR Research Institute for Social Sciences and Technology carried out research into internet skills among the Dutch population. 300 test subjects had to perform tasks on the internet such as downloading a PDF file, navigating through various web designs, finding a two-star restaurant in Amsterdam and finding out whether you can travel to Amsterdam more cheaply by train or by car. All the test subjects' screen actions were recorded while they carried out the tasks.
On the basis of his research Van Deursen concludes that the low level of many Dutch people's internet skills is alarming. "The participants made many errors, even in relatively simple tasks. For example, many people find it difficult to choose the right search term, and in over 90% of cases the information found was not evaluated. For instance, the test subjects used information from spreekbeurt.nl, a website for school pupils, when they were looking for information on the national government." 

AGE BRINGS WISDOM, ALSO ON THE INTERNET

In his research Van Deursen makes a distinction between medium-related and content-related skills. Medium-related skills are concerned with the technical abilities that are needed to make use of the internet: the so-called 'click skills', for example using internet browsers and search engines, and navigating on the web. Content-related skills have to do with, among other things, searching for information and gaining benefits from using the internet, such as buying a product cheaply or finding a hospital with the shortest waiting list.
The research shows that older people are often lacking in medium-related skills. Some common errors are typing search terms joined together, typing search terms in the menu bar and losing sight of information when something opens in a new window.
The situation regarding medium-related skills is better among young people, but their content-related skills lag behind those of older people. This can be seen in the fact that they use search terms that are far too general and tend to focus solely on the first search result. The surprising conclusion is that older people with a command of internet techniques can find their way through content better than young people. However, the biggest differences in all types of skills can be seen between highly educated and less well educated individuals.

NOTE FOR THE PRESS

Alexander van Deursen carried out his research within the IBR Research Institute and the Media, Communication and Organization (MCO) research group led by Prof. Jan van Dijk. The research was made possible thanks to financial support from the Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation and the IT policy institute ECP-EPN. For more information, or a digital version of the thesis 'Internet skills: vital assets in an information society', please contact Science Information Officer Joost Bruysters (tel. 053 489 2773 / 06 1048 8228).

Contact person
Joost Bruysters, tel +3153 – 489 2773, mobile +316 – 1048 8228