Digital education as school subject

The vast majority of Userneeds’ panel members all agree: digital education should be taught as a school subject and thus provide children with an understanding of dos and don’ts online.

The use of the internet and social media in particular is expanding every day and especially young people are taking the lead in the use of new information technology. The easy access not only makes it possible to stay updated on news from all over the world, it also allows people to connect even though they are thousands of miles apart. Unfortunately, identity theft, bullying and a pressure to post the perfect pictures are online realities as well that can have fatal consequences for the people experiencing it.

Regardless of the pros and cons the internet is here to stay for what reason it is quite important to know how to navigate in this world of endless information. But should digital education be a school subject taught in primary school or should the students rather focus on other subjects? We have asked our panel members in the Nordics and Ireland just that and they all seem to agree.

Between 90 and 93 percent in all the countries thus say either "Yes, absolutely" or "Yes, to some degree" when asked the question. Only between 4 and 8 percent answer "No" or "No, not at all" and the results therefore clearly state how at least Userneeds' panel members think it would be a good idea to have digital education as an actual school subject.