Digitally native or digitally naïve? Rethinking digital literacy in schools

Young people may be constantly connected but they are not consistently safe or confident online, according to a new report from AQA.

While young people are digitally active, there are significant gaps in their confidence, safety and critical understanding of digital technologies.

The UK’s largest exam board is calling for digital literacy to be embedded in the school curriculum, so every young person leaves education prepared for modern life and work. This should include critical evaluation skills, such as identifying misinformation, bias and online fakes. It should also include practical competence with workplace tools such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Around 7.3 million employed adults lack fundamental digital literacy and the UK’s digital skills gap is estimated to cost £63 billion per year.

Teachers and students have told AQA that:

Young people are digitally active but not consistently digitally literate

• 74% of young people are confident using TikTok and 61% use Snapchat
• Far fewer are confident using PowerPoint (38%), Excel (36%) or Word (52%).

Young people face real risks online

• A third have shared personal information with strangers online.
• Many lack confidence in recognising misinformation, understanding bias or navigating algorithm‑driven content.
• There is strong demand for better digital literacy education

Young people told us that Numeracy and Financial Skills (67%), Digital Literacy (60%) and Online Safety (54%) are the areas they want to learn more about. Teachers need support, training, and high‑quality resources over a qualification. They want to teach digital literacy but feel under‑prepared in a rapidly changing and technically complex area.

AQA CEO Colin Hughes said: “Too many people assume students are ‘digitally native’ but the evidence shows there are large variations between their digital judgement and critical skills. That is why AQA is calling for digital literacy to become a core part of the curriculum, alongside numeracy and literacy. Without this, we risk leaving young people unprepared for the demands of modern life and work.”

Thought leaders from across the education sector have welcomed the report.

Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary, Association of School and College Leaders, said: “Digital literacy is so important in helping young people navigate a world in which technology continues to evolve at an extraordinary pace. Schools have a key role to play in preparing students for this, and the opportunities and risks it brings.

“AQA’s report is therefore particularly timely, and clearly demonstrates how digital literacy could be embedded across the curriculum. The report not only makes a persuasive case for why digital literacy is important, but offers a roadmap for implementing it effectively. We hope policymakers will give it careful consideration.”

Cath Sezen, Director of Education Policy, Association of Colleges, said: "We are pleased to see this AQA report highlighting the need for an urgent national conversation about how best to prepare all young people with the digital literacy skills they will need for 21st century life and work. The issues raised in this report echo feedback from colleges about the gaps in young people’s digital skills and confidence. We stand ready with AQA and others to work with the government to ensure there is coherent approach to digital literacy from early years through to post-16."

Lucy Crompton-Reid, CEO, Wikimedia UK, said: “Information and media literacy skills are vital for our young people to navigate the online world safely and confidently. At Wikimedia UK, we strongly support AQA’s findings that young people need and deserve media literacy to be embedded in the curriculum, enabling them to flourish online and become active citizens. To achieve this, teachers must be trained and supported to deliver these essential media literacy skills.”

Katie Freeman–Tayler, Policy and Research Director, Internet Matters, said: “In an increasingly online world, strong digital skills are central to future employment and a functioning democracy. This research highlights the urgent need to strengthen children’s digital literacy, particularly as the UK moves to lower the voting age to 16, and as the growth of AI-generated content makes it harder to distinguish fact from fiction. Improving children’s digital skills must be a shared responsibility. Schools, parents, industry, and government all have a vital role to play in equipping the next generation with the knowledge and skills they need to confidently navigate the online world.”

Emily Hanson, Head of Education, First News said: “At First News we welcome this further research on digital literacy and children's online habits from AQA. As the original children's news provider for 20 years, we have seen a consistent shift in children's access to online spaces, as well as the absolute vital need to deliver strong digital and media literacy teaching to safeguard them and support their learning.

“A democratic and fair society needs informed citizens, and with suffrage hopefully extending to 16 year olds, our young people deserve resources and support to ensure they are able to navigate the breadth of information available to them with confidence. We look forward to seeing the impacts this work has in schools and congratulate AQA on this important piece of work.”

Read the full report: ‘Digitally Native or Digitally Naïve? Rethinking Digital Literacy in Schools’.