ASER survey reveals over 80% of teens use smartphones, less than 60% use it for education

The most recent edition of the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), released on Jan 28, shows that while 82.2% of teenagers aged 14 to 16 are proficient with smartphones, only 57% use them for educational purposes, and 76% use them for social media.

The report provides valuable insights into the state of education across India and is regarded as a key benchmark for assessing foundational learning outcomes and enrollment trends, based on an extensive survey of rural and urban households.

For the first time, ASER included a section on digital literacy, specifically targeting children in the 14-16 age group.

In addition to a one-on-one evaluation of basic digital skills, the section included self-reported questions on smartphone ownership, use, and access.

Nearly 90% of boys and girls aged 14 to 16 report that their households own a smartphone, indicating widespread access to smartphones among this age group.

More than 80% of these teenagers also say they know how to use a smartphone, though there is still a gender gap, with 85.5% of boys and 79.4% of girls reporting this ability.

States such as Bihar, Jharkhand, and Madhya Pradesh, however, fall short of the national averages in smartphone ownership and usage.

While boys and girls were equally likely to use smartphones for educational purposes, boys were more likely to report using social media (78.8% of boys versus 73.4% of girls).

Kerala stood out, with over 80% of children using smartphones for educational activities and more than 90% for social media.

Although smartphone ownership is relatively low among 14-16-year-old students, it increases with age.

Among those who can operate a smartphone, 37.8% of 16-year-olds and 27% of 14-year-olds reported owning one.

A significant gender disparity persists, with 36.2% of boys and 26.9% of girls owning a smartphone.

This gender gap is consistent across all states.

Over three-quarters of children were able to use their smartphones to complete tasks such as finding a YouTube video, setting an alarm, and searching for specific information.

More than 90% of those who found a video on YouTube were able to share it.

However, gender gaps were observed across all tasks, with the largest disparity in setting an alarm—81.5% of boys compared to 72.4% of girls.

Notably, in southern states like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala, girls either matched or outperformed boys in completing these tasks.

According to ASER data, smartphone usage and digital literacy among teenagers aged 14 to 16 have significantly improved since COVID, with greater access, enhanced digital skills, and higher participation in educational activities than in previous years.

ASER, the largest citizen-led education survey in India, has been conducted annually since 2005.

The survey aims to provide accurate projections of children's enrollment and their foundational academic proficiency for every rural district across the nation.

Thousands of volunteers participate in the survey’s participatory methodology, which is carried out in partnership with local organizations.

The survey reached nearly 600,000 children in more than 17,000 villages across 605 rural districts in India.

Pratham facilitated the survey, which was conducted by a local organization or institution in each district.