Smartphone surge fails to boost learning outcomes

32.3% of students aged 14-16 use mobile for social media; only 53% of Class 8 students can read Class 2 text

- Kalyan Krishna Kumar @Vijayawada

Though there is a surge in smartphone access among children, the learning outcomes in government schools continue to decline in Andhra Pradesh. However, school attendance improved while infrastructure and access to digital education present a mixed picture.

According to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024, smartphone penetration has increased significantly, with 89.9 per cent of households owning one in 2024, up from 37.8 per cent in 2018.

Among children aged 14-16, 93.8 per cent have a smartphone at home, and 83.1 per cent know how to use it. However, only 66.1 per cent engaged in educational activities online, while 22.3 per cent used social media.

A gender gap persists, with 48.2 per cent of boys owning a smartphone compared to 45.5 per cent of girls. Southern states, including Andhra Pradesh, saw girls performing at par or better than boys in certain digital tasks.