In Karnataka, 93% of children have access to smartphones at home, with 76% able to use them, according to the Annual Status of Education Report 2024 (ASER-Rural) released on January 28. The survey revealed that 63% of children were permitted to bring smartphones to school.
The report also highlighted that around 70% of children aged 14 to 16 were active on social media during the reference week. Among these, 52% knew how to block or report profiles, 49% could set their profiles to private, and 51% were able to change their passwords.
For the first time in its nationwide household survey, ASER included a section on digital literacy, focusing on older children in the 14-16 age group. This section featured self-reported questions on access, ownership, and use of smartphones, as well as a one-on-one assessment of basic digital skills.
The findings revealed that access to smartphones is close to universal among this age group, with almost 90% of both girls and boys reporting having a smartphone at home. More than 80% reported knowing how to use a smartphone.
ASER is an annual citizen-led survey that provides reliable insights into children's schooling and learning outcomes across rural India. ASER 2024 assessed 6,49,491 children across 17,997 villages in 605 rural districts.
In Karnataka, the survey covered 30 districts, 900 villages, 17,702 households, and 1,20,336 children aged 3 to 16 years.