Digital Skills: Key to the Smart Society

This new book, written by Alexander van Deursen and Jan van Dijk, marks a step in a research line that they began more than two decades ago. At a time when digital inequality research still focused mainly on access to the internet, the authors helped shift attention to the skills people need to use digital technologies meaningfully. Their early framework distinguished between operational, formal, information and strategic internet skills: not only knowing how to operate technology, but also how to navigate digital environments, find and evaluate information, and use the internet to achieve personal, professional or societal goals. This framework was later expanded in response to the rise of Web 2.0, when the internet became more interactive, social and participatory. Communication skills and content creation skills were added to capture people’s ability to interact, share, collaborate and produce digital content (extensivelt discussed in their book: Digital skills, unlocking the information society). This new book (published by Palgrave Macmillan) extends this tradition once again. Today’s media landscape is no longer centred on a single computer or website, but consists of a complex mix of smartphones, apps, platforms, smart devices, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, social media, and traditional media. In this “smart society,” digital skills start even before use itself: people must first be able to choose which medium, platform or device is most appropriate for a particular goal. Strategic media choice skills therefore become a crucial starting point. From there, the book rethinks digital skills for a more complex mediated reality in which participation depends not only on access and basic use, but also on informed choices, critical judgement, creative production and strategic action across an increasingly interconnected digital environment.

About the book

• Provides an elaborate conceptualisation of digital skills that can be applied to the general population
• Addresses digital skills in a complex mediated reality by paying special attention to AI and IoT developments in society
• Discusses both the supply and demand side solutions to account for digital skill shortage

We are experiencing a transformative moment in human history. The world around us is becoming not just digital but intelligent, powered by artificial intelligence, interconnected through the Internet of Things, and guided by algorithms that shape what we see, think, and do. From the phones in our hands to the sensors in our devices, digital media now weave through every aspect of our daily lives. They influence how we learn, work, communicate, and even understand ourselves and others. In this complex media landscape, digital skills are central to participation, opportunity, and empowerment. And yet, while digital media advance at breathtaking speed, the human capacity to use them effectively often struggles to keep pace. This book begins with the question of what it means to be digitally skilled in a smart society. From this question unfolds a journey through seven essential digital skills. Three of these skills relate to mastering the medium itself, how we choose, operate, and navigate digital media. Four focus on mastering content, how we locate and evaluate, communicate, create, and strategically apply online content.

• Chapter 1 introduces the comprehensive digital skill framework and traces the evolution through history, from oral societies to the early days of computing and the Web to today’s algorithmic, data-driven society. It shows how digital skills have accumulated and expanded, and why they are now indispensable for everyone, regardless of background or profession.
• Building on this, Chapter 2 explores how the seven skills apply to internet and intelligent media that define our era: online platforms, social media, AI-driven platforms, and smart connected devices. This is where digital skills meet the world of automation, data analytics, and personalization. It is the heart of the book, bridging scholarly insight and practical relevance.
• Chapter 3 turns theory into evidence. Drawing on empirical data from survey research and task-based performance tests, it examines the actual levels of digital skills across populational groups. Who has the skills needed to benefit from internet and connected intelligent media, and who is being left behind? The findings expose gaps across age, education levels, income groups, traditional literacy, and social capital, offering a sobering picture of digital inequality that persists beneath the surface of connectivity.
• Chapter 4 widens the lens. Digital skills do not exist in isolation; they are embedded in a broader social context. This chapter investigates how digital inequalities intersect with traditional forms of inequality and shape economic, educational, political, social, cultural, spatial, and institutional participation. It asks: Are disparities in digital skills simply a reflection of existing divides, or do they represent a new and growing layer of social inequality? How do AI, automation, and algorithmic bias further complicate these patterns?
• The second half of the book turns toward solutions. Chapters 5 and 6 explore two complementary strategies for addressing and improving digital skills. The first considers the design of digital media and platform interfaces to be more inclusive, transparent, and user-friendly. The second focuses on people: education, training, and lifelong learning as pathways to digital empowerment. From classrooms to workplaces and from self-directed learning to peer collaboration, these chapters show how digital skills can be cultivated across life stages and contexts. They also highlight the importance of reaching those most often excluded from digital progress: older adults, people with disabilities, migrants, and individuals with limited literacy.
• Finally, Chapter 7 looks ahead and brings together insights and implications for policy, outlining how governments, institutions, and industries can foster digitally skilled societies. It identifies strategies and partnerships that can ensure that digital transformation becomes a force for inclusion rather than division.

This book can be considered as both a roadmap and a call to action. It invites readers—scholars, students, practitioners, educators, developers, and policymakers—to rethink what it means to be skilled in a world shaped by internet and intelligent media. It argues that digital skills are not a fixed checklist of technical skills, but the capacity to think critically and act strategically and meaningfully with and through digital media. In a world where every innovation reshapes what is asked of and what it means to be humans, developing digital skills is more than just preparation for the future. It is the key to shaping it.

Praise for Digital Skills

This comprehensive interdisciplinary book provides analyses and measures of required skills for equitable, effective, and participatory digital media use. Van Deursen and Van Dijk discuss implications for interventions, accessibility, and interface design; strategies for education and informal learning; and policy implications that consider the multidimensional nature of the media environment. The exciting and thoroughly grounded book should be required reading in all disciplines related to the contemporary digital world.

This excellent book combines wisdom from years of innovative research with insightful solutions to address the digital skills so critical for participation in society today, especially in an age of AI. With useful concepts and measures for future research, the authors also offer nuanced, evidence-based recommendations for human-centered design, education, and public policy, targeting diverse needs for different populations. This is a must-read for scholarship and practice.

Digital skills determine who can participate, and who is left behind, in an increasingly digital society. This book shows how digital skills not only reflect social inequalities but actively amplify them, especially in the age of AI, where people no longer simply use tools but interact with agents. Rejecting one-size-fits-all solutions, it argues for targeted, context-sensitive interventions and sustained collaboration between researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. A must-read for anyone committed to inclusive and meaningful digital participation.

About the Authors

Prof. Dr. Alexander van Deursen holds the Chair of Digital Inequality at the University of Twente in The Netherlands. He serves as Director of the Centre for Digital Inclusion. In this role, he focuses on identifying and explaining mechanisms of digital inclusion, mapping both the benefits and risks of emerging technologies, pinpointing groups at risk of digital exclusion, and developing policy measures and interventions to address these challenges. He also evaluates best practices aimed at fostering equitable participation in a rapidly digitizing society. Alexander has published widely in scientific journals and popular media. He maintains active international collaborations and has heldolds visiting positions at the London School of Economics and Political Science and Arizona State University. His research and leadership contribute to a deeper understanding of how digital transformation affects individuals and communities, and how inclusive strategies can ensure that no one is left behind.

Prof. Dr. Jan van Dijkis a Dutch emeritus professor of communication science and the sociology of the information society at the University of Twente in The Netherlands, where he continues to be active in research and teaching. He is internationally recognized for his pioneering work on the digital divide, the social aspects of digital media, and digital democracy. Van Dijk’s influential books include The Network Society, The Deepening Divide, Digital Democracy, Digital Skills, and The Digital Divide, which explore how unequal access to technology and digital skills reinforces broader social inequalities. Throughout his career, he has advised various governments and the European Commission on information and communication technology policy and remains a leading voice in understanding the societal impacts of digitalization.