Less than half of students possess the expected digital skills upon completion of their bachelor’s degree, according to a study by the Pix Observatory , reported in late 2025 by various national media outlets . These findings highlight what can be called digital illiteracy among young people, a far cry from the “digital native” stereotype often associated with this generation born in the age of social media.

Formed by the contraction of illiteracy and electronics, electronic illiteracy – some authors speak of e-literacy – refers to the state of a person who does not master the skills necessary for the use and creation of digital resources.

According to INSEE , this corresponds to the situation in which a person has not used the internet in the last three months, either due to inability, material reasons, or a lack of basic digital skills. Digital illiteracy is sometimes referred to as part of the digital information divide.

Digital illiteracy: identification and prevalence

To assess one’s level of digital knowledge, five areas of competence must be considered  :

• online information search (on products, services or source verification, etc.);
• electronic communication (sending or receiving emails, etc.);
• the use of software (word processing, etc.);
• online privacy protection (refusing cookies, restricting access to one’s geographical location, etc.);
• solving problems on the Internet (accessing your bank account via the Internet, taking online courses, etc.).

Some people are proficient in some of these skills, while others are not proficient in any. To identify digital illiteracy, it is necessary to differentiate between total and partial digital illiteracy.

According to INSEE , total digital illiteracy affects approximately 15.4% of French people over the age of 15, which corresponds to about 8 million people. This includes either those who have not used the internet in the last three months (90.3% of the 8 million), or those who lack basic digital skills – that is, those who score 0/2 in at least 4 of the 5 skill areas (10.7% of the 8 million).

Partial digital illiteracy refers to people who lack certain basic skills, affecting approximately 30% of people over the age of 15. Furthermore, 20.5% of internet users in general lack basic privacy protection skills, even though this skill is relevant to everyone, especially in a time when all information is susceptible to being sold, used, or even misused (“fake news,” deepfakes, etc.).

Is age a key factor in technology use?

Sociodemographic factors exist, starting with age. Older people are the most affected by total digital illiteracy (60% of those over 75, compared to 2% of 15-24 year olds). However, 19% of 15-24 year olds have low digital skills.

Other variables have a significant influence. For example, education level can be a determining factor: people without a diploma or with only a primary school certificate are seven times more likely to be digitally illiterate than someone with a bachelor’s degree or higher. Socioeconomic status is also important: people living in households in the bottom 20% of the income bracket are 6.6 times more likely to be digitally illiterate than someone living in a household in the top 20% of the income bracket.

When focusing specifically on 15-24 year olds, data emerges that challenge the myth of the digitally savvy young person. While young people have never been so connected, the Pix Observatory barometer calls for vigilance.

Upon entering university, 40% of students fall below the expected level, and upon graduation, 52% of students lack the digital skills necessary for further studies or entering the job market. Among the skills that pose difficulties are verifying the reliability of online information and knowing one’s rights regarding data protection .

What are the obstacles to acquiring digital skills?

Numerous obstacles, particularly psychological ones, could explain these findings. On an individual level, feeling (or not feeling) capable ( Bandura refers to this as a sense of self-efficacy ) is a major determining factor. This influences the motivation to use digital tools, performance when using them , and, more broadly, academic motivation .

In addition, anxiety about digital technology and technostress (a concept relating to stress induced by digital technology) also influence adolescents’ relationship with digital technology , particularly according to gender.

On a collective level, representations and stereotypes can lead to the stigmatization of certain young people considered offline (who use little or no digital tools). They can generate stereotype threat (that is, impaired performance when one is the victim of a stereotype in an evaluation or judgment situation), notably influencing trajectories in computer science studies based on gender .

Legal and environmental issues to understand

Mastering digital tools also means being aware of and understanding the legal and environmental issues.

From a legal perspective, this means understanding, for example, European regulations or rules relating to the right to privacy , the sharing of information online and disinformation , cyberbullying , teleworking or the right to disconnect .

From an environmental perspective, it’s important to know that digital technology represents 4.4% of France’s carbon footprint and 11.3% of its electricity consumption in 2022, with current projections of an 80% increase by 2050 according to ADEME (the French Agency for Ecological Transition  ); that data center energy consumption increased by 11% in one year, and their water consumption for cooling circuits increased by 19% between 2022 and 2023. It should also be noted that this data predates the widespread adoption of generative artificial intelligence.

The speed at which digital technology is evolving (the development of generative artificial intelligence being one example) raises ethical questions. We attempted to answer some of these in * The Proper Use of Digital Technology: How to Use It, for Yourself and for Others* (Ellipses, 2025). It is now up to each and every one of us to become aware of all these issues, to develop digital literacy, in other words, to educate ourselves about media and digital technology .

And if you wish to take stock of your own skills, you can test yourself using the tool provided by Pix .

Author Bio: Jimmy Bordarie is Doctor, Senior Lecturer and Audrey Damiens is a Senior Lecturer in Private Law at the University of Tours