NEW DELHI: While girls in the world have often been associated with social media trends—posting selfies with pouts and lip gloss, curating Instagram reels, and sharing snaps on Facebook—it’s the boys who seem to have taken the lead in confidently navigating the digital world at leat in India.
A recent survey from the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) shines a light on a growing digital divide between boys and girls in India, especially in terms of basic smartphone usage, educational engagement, and digital safety.
According to the ASER findings, a striking 85.5% of boys in the 14-16 age group report feeling confident using a smartphone, compared to just 79.4% of girls.
One of the most telling findings involves a seemingly simple task: setting an alarm on a smartphone. Here, the gap becomes more apparent.
While 81.5% of boys know how to set an alarm, only 72.4% of girls are able to do so—a difference that reflects a broader trend in the data.
Regional Disparities: The South vs the North
Interestingly, the digital gender gap isn’t uniform across India. In states like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala, girls are either keeping pace with boys or even outperforming them in some areas.
But the divide becomes more pronounced in states like Bihar, Jharkhand, and Madhya Pradesh, where fewer children have access to smartphones, and even fewer know how to use them effectively.
The survey revealed that while nearly 90% of households across India now have access to smartphones for children aged 14-16, the ability to use these devices remains sharply divided by gender.
Smartphones for Socializing, Not Learning
Despite the pervasive access to smartphones, the study found that many children, particularly those in this age group, are using their devices more for social media than for educational purposes.
While 80% of children know how to use a smartphone, only 57% use it for learning activities. In contrast, a significant 76% report using their phones to access social media platforms.
Boys, in particular, seem more likely to engage with social media through their smartphones. The report shows that 78.8% of boys use social media, compared to 73.4% of girls.
The trend continues in Kerala, where over 80% of children use smartphones for educational purposes, yet more than 90% also use them for social media.
Boys Own More Smartphones
Another noteworthy point from the ASER survey is the ownership of smartphones. In the 14-16 age group, 36.2% of boys own a smartphone, compared to just 26.9% of girls. This ownership gap underlines the disparity in access to personal devices, which can have significant implications for both education and digital literacy.
Digital Safety: Boys Lead in Security Awareness
The report also highlights differences in digital safety awareness between the genders. While most children are aware of how to protect themselves online, boys seem to be more knowledgeable about security features.
According to the findings, 62% of boys know how to block or report harmful profiles on social media, whereas only 55% of girls are familiar with these protective measures.
Assessing Digital Skills
In addition to exploring access and usage patterns, the ASER survey also assessed children’s ability to perform basic digital tasks, such as searching for information, setting alarms, and sharing YouTube videos.
More than three-quarters of the children surveyed were able to complete these tasks, but once again, boys outperformed girls in almost every category, particularly when it came to setting alarms.
This year’s survey is the first time that ASER has included a dedicated section on digital literacy, specifically for children in the 14-16 age group. The assessment examined not only access to smartphones but also self-reported use, ownership, and proficiency with basic digital skills.
