Forget ‘digital natives’ – why inequality determines young people’s data literacy

By Nuffield Foundation

A significant proportion of young people – often identified as “digital natives” – have the weakest understanding of how their data is harvested online and used, according to research by the University of Liverpool.

The preliminary results of the University’s Me & My Big Data project – funded by the Nuffield Foundation – suggests that more than half of the demographic (54%) widely regarded as being among the most savvy online operators are actually in one of the two groups with the lowest levels of data literacy; alongside ‘Limited Users’ of the internet, usually over the age of 55.

The study found that the vast majority (70%) of those it calls ‘Social and Media Users’ – 51% under the age of 24, mostly engaging with social and entertainments media – don’t want to share their data but feel they have no choice but to do so to access services and social media, despite only 18% trusting those platforms to protect their personal information.

Among that group, the study also found:

  • 90% do not trust online news sites or apps they use regularly
  • 95% do not trust information they read offline
  • 85% say it is not acceptable to track online behaviour
  • 90% say it is not acceptable for companies to sell their data to other companies
  • 70% say they believe internet providers do not make it easy to change privacy settings
  • 50% believe there is no point changing settings as companies will find a way around anyway

Of that group, 55% trust their friends’ social media content but only 10% have explained or shown others how to stay safe online.

Report author and lead investigator, Professor Simeon Yates said: “Our report suggests Social and Media Users have almost as limited an awareness of the use of their data by platforms as Limited Users.

“Given that this group is 17% of all users and consists mainly of young people, with lower educational attainment from lower income households, we are concerned that they will remain disadvantaged in their data literacy into later life.

“This result undermines the idea of the ‘digital native’”

The survey was carried out between August and September 2019, to investigate what previous studies have shown is UK citizens’ lack of robust understanding of how their data is being shared with digital platforms, and the uses to which it is put.

It identified six distinct groups: General Users, Extensive Users, Extensive Political Users, Social and Media Users, Limited Users, and Non-users.

It ranks each group’s proficiency across three key areas.

Data Thinking relates to critical understanding of data, such as implementing privacy settings; Data Doing is everyday engagements with data and activity, for example, citing data sources; and Data Participation concerns each proactive engagement with data and the accompanying networks of literacy, such as helping others with data literacy or the ability to utilise data for civic action.

In an increasingly digitised information landscape, a lack of digital literacy can open people up to risk, but it can also limit capacity to be active and engage with society in a meaningful way.

Professor Simeon Yates added: “Although both of our Extensive Users show relatively high levels of data thinking and data doing, even they show low absolute levels of data participation.

“None of our groups show evidence of deep engagement with data as part of their personal and civic lives, and crucially, differences in digital literacy appear to mirror other indices of inequality.”

Publications


Explore our projects

New

Welfare | 2024 - 2027

Gypsy, Roma, Traveller Youth: mitigating exclusions using the digital?

View project
A front view of a father and his two children. He is carrying his young son in his arms and his daughter is riding her scooter along the footpath as he pushes his son's scooter along the way.
New

Justice | Welfare | 2024 - 2026

Challenging justice inequalities with children in conflict with the law 

View project
Young girl using an iPad at home
New

Education | 2024 - 2024

Early years digital media literacy review

View project
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2027

Performance Tracker 

View project
Mother wearing hijab holding her toddler son on her knee, smiling at each other
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2025

Afghan resettlement in England: outcomes and experiences 

View project
A middle-aged man sat at home is looking at this phone while sorting pension paperwork.
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Collective defined contribution pensions with investment choice

View project
three women walking along street laughing and smiling
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Revealing social capital

View project
A woman is sat on the edge of a bed staring at her phone while her daughter is in the background.
In progress

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Virtual parent support portals: a new research and practice agenda

View project
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

Universal Credit, good work and progression

View project
Three colleagues smiling and talking at work
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

Arthritis, work and wellbeing: a mixed methods study with policy recommendations

View project
Elderly woman and adult daughter out shopping
In progress

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

Connecting pensions, health and care

View project
A group of neighbours walking outside in a green space

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

Just neighbourhoods? Under-representation in UK community-led planning

View project
Young girl using an iPad at home
New

Education | 2024 - 2024

Early years digital media literacy review

View project
A front view of a father and his two children. He is carrying his young son in his arms and his daughter is riding her scooter along the footpath as he pushes his son's scooter along the way.
New

Justice | Welfare | 2024 - 2026

Challenging justice inequalities with children in conflict with the law 

View project
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2027

Gypsy, Roma, Traveller Youth: mitigating exclusions using the digital?

View project
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2027

Performance Tracker 

View project
Mother wearing hijab holding her toddler son on her knee, smiling at each other
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2025

Afghan resettlement in England: outcomes and experiences 

View project
three women walking along street laughing and smiling
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Revealing social capital

View project
A middle-aged man sat at home is looking at this phone while sorting pension paperwork.
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Collective defined contribution pensions with investment choice

View project
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

Universal Credit, good work and progression

View project
A woman is sat on the edge of a bed staring at her phone while her daughter is in the background.
In progress

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Virtual parent support portals: a new research and practice agenda

View project
A group of neighbours walking outside in a green space

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

Just neighbourhoods? Under-representation in UK community-led planning

View project
People looking at their mobile phones while waiting for job interview

Welfare | 2023 - 2024

Reliability and validity of crowdsourced workplace wellbeing data

View project
Teenager hugging their mother
In progress

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

The long-term effects of being a young carer

View project
A woman is sat on the edge of a bed staring at her phone while her daughter is in the background.
In progress

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Virtual parent support portals: a new research and practice agenda

View project
Teenager hugging their mother
In progress

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

The long-term effects of being a young carer

View project
Elderly woman and adult daughter out shopping
In progress

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

Connecting pensions, health and care

View project
Mother, father, son and daughter standing in front of their house
In progress

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

A regional regeneration index to track socioeconomic ‘Levelling Up’

View project
Man working on a laptop using sign language on a video call
In progress

Welfare | 2023 - 2024

Designing inclusive remote and hybrid working to support disabled workers

View project
Children walking with their parents in the countryside
In progress

Welfare | 2022 - 2024

Children’s lives in changing places

View project
Dad holding baby walking with two kids
In progress

Justice | 2022 - 2024

Administrative fairness in the digital welfare state

View project
Older man working from home on a video call
In progress

Welfare | 2022 - 2023

The impact of pension auto-enrolment and COVID-19 on saving behaviours

View project
Worried woman alone in a room, resting her head on her arms
In progress

Welfare | 2022 - 2024

Links between cognitive impairment and exploitation in England

View project
A man working as a delivery driver sits in the driver's seat, checking his list on a tablet
In progress

Welfare | 2022 - 2023

Redesigning labour market policies for the future of work

View project
Older people drinking tea at a meeting at a community centre
In progress

Welfare | 2022 - 2024

Using administrative data to understand community well-being

View project
Two cheerful farmers standing outside a farm building looking at a tablet
In progress

Welfare | 2022 - 2024

Rural assets: policy and practice insights from the devolved nations

View project
Young girl using an iPad at home
New

Education | 2024 - 2024

Early years digital media literacy review

View project
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2027

Gypsy, Roma, Traveller Youth: mitigating exclusions using the digital?

View project
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2027

Performance Tracker 

View project
Mother wearing hijab holding her toddler son on her knee, smiling at each other
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2025

Afghan resettlement in England: outcomes and experiences 

View project
three women walking along street laughing and smiling
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Revealing social capital

View project
A middle-aged man sat at home is looking at this phone while sorting pension paperwork.
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Collective defined contribution pensions with investment choice

View project
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

Universal Credit, good work and progression

View project
Three colleagues smiling and talking at work
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

Arthritis, work and wellbeing: a mixed methods study with policy recommendations

View project
A man driving a van at work
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

The PAW Trial: feasibility and acceptability of the Pain-at-Work Toolkit

View project
Two older women swimming in their local pool
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

The psychological, social and economic impact of musculoskeletal conditions

View project
Older woman using a tablet to make a video call
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Remote osteoarthritis peer-mentorship for socioeconomically underserved people

View project
Teenager hugging their mother
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Juvenile onset rheumatic diseases: education, vocational readiness, & employment

View project
Grandparents having fun outdoors with their granddaughter, who is eating an apple and laughing: Understanding family and community vulnerabilities in transition to net zero
Reported

Welfare | 2021 - 2023

Understanding family and community vulnerabilities in transition to net zero

View project
Father and son using laptop at home
Reported

Welfare | 2021 - 2024

Developing a minimum digital living standard for households with children

View project
Close up of a young girl and her father wearing protective face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic outside.
Reported

Welfare | 2021 - 2023

The Economy 2030 Inquiry: navigating a decade of change

View project
Young-boy-uses-tablet-with-mother-for-maths-learning-Can-maths-apps-add-value-to-learning-PROJ
Reported

Education | 2020 - 2022

Can maths apps add value to learning?

View project
Toddler-gleefully-eats-baked-beans-How-COVID-19-is-affecting-food-security-proj
Reported

Welfare | 2020 - 2021

How the COVID-19 crisis is affecting food security

View project
Teenage-girl-looks-at-smartphone-next-to-laptop-Growing-up-under-COVID-19-PROJ
Reported

Education | Welfare | 2020 - 2022

Growing up under COVID-19

View project
Mother carrying daughter outside their home
Reported

Welfare | 2020 - 2022

COVID realities: families on low incomes during the pandemic

View project
Woman-looks-at-smartphone-screen-How-the-UK-public-gets-information-about-COVID-19-PROJ
Reported

Welfare | 2020 - 2020

How the UK public gets information about COVID-19

View project
Woman-medical-professional-treats-patient-impact-MSK-conditions-outcomes-other-illnesses-PROJ
Reported

Welfare | 2020 - 2022

The impact of musculoskeletal conditions on outcomes of other illnesses

View project
A middle-aged teacher sits at her desk and helps a female student with a problem in her textbook.
Reported

Education | Welfare | 2020 - 2020

Measuring the disadvantage attainment gap in 16-19 education

View project
Reported

Welfare | 2013 - 2017

IFS Green Budget 2013 – 2016

View project
Reported

Education | 2017 - 2018

Growing up digital

View project
Search projects

We improve people’s lives by funding research that informs social policy, primarily in Education, Welfare and Justice. We also fund student programmes that give young people skills and confidence in science and research.

We offer our grant-holders the freedom to frame questions and enable new thinking. Our research must stand up to rigorous academic scrutiny, but we understand that to be successful in effecting change, it also needs to be relevant to people’s experience.

Profile