2024/10/08 by Marcos Cabezas González, Sonia Casillas Martín, Ana García‐Valcárcel Muñoz‐Repiso · 1 voice
Computer Science · Social Sciences · #Digital literacy in education #Educational Innovations and Challenges #Technology-Enhanced Education Studies
paper · doi:10.1080/07380569.2024.2409688
openalex publication_date 2024/10/08 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/15
The issue of safety in respect of using technology in education is an issue that deserves particular attention. This research uses a quantitative methodology to explore whether the use made by children of video games, social media, and smartphones in their free time influences the development of digital competence as regards safety. This study was conducted based on a sample of 800 compulsory education phase Spanish students. The results show a relatively low competence level, suggesting the need for digital education as part of the school curriculum so that students can make safe use of digital technologies. According to the findings, while students enjoy playing video games and using certain social media, mainly through smartphones, they are not digitally competent. The results reported for the assessment of digital competence in the safety area are within the basic level and, in general, boys have a higher level of competence than girls, except in the protecting health and protecting the environment competences.