Digital Revolution: How the pandemic changed Germany's capabilities!

Digital Revolution: How the pandemic changed Germany's capabilities!

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only shaken the global economy, but has also set inexorable digitalization processes in motion. Particularly in the German context, the question arose as to how much this exceptional situation has influenced the digital skills of citizens. A comprehensive study conducted by professors at the University of Duisburg-Essen offers new perspectives on digital development during this time.

In 2020, when the first video conferences often started with the question “Can you hear me?” began, digital working was still largely uncommon in Germany. The study, which was carried out at the Interdisciplinary Center for Educational Research (IZfB) and as part of the research focus ForBilD – “Education in the Digital World”, surveyed 1,143 people aged 18 to 87 who regularly use the Internet. The results were recently presented at the CHI Conference on Human-Machine Interaction and show that many Germans have significantly improved their digital skills during the lockdown.

Different advances in digital skills

The study shows that young, male, well-educated people who live in cities in particular have made significant progress. While other social groups also learned skills, the growth there was less pronounced. Media psychologist Neubaum, co-author of the study, emphasizes that those surveyed who expanded their skills not only felt safer, but also lonelier. These ambivalent feelings illustrate that digital communication cannot fully meet social needs.

The pandemic also led to an infodemic in which true and false information circulated in torrents. Respondents expressed the need to better distinguish between trustworthy and dubious sources. These findings underline the responsibility of schools and politics in training digital skills.

Digital inclusion as the key to success

The connection between digital inclusion and economic success is undeniable. According to Roland Berger, competence in dealing with information and communication technology has a decisive influence on private and economic areas of life. Digital inclusion is seen as an economic “enabler” that not only makes access to markets easier, but also has a positive impact on social life. Companies that suffered from inadequate digital infrastructure during the pandemic experienced significant revenue losses, highlighting the need for a “digital-ready” society.

The development of a Digital Inclusion Index (RB DII) has made it possible to systematically examine digital inclusion. This index is based on factors such as access to digital technology and the digital literacy of the population. Between 2017 and 2020, all countries, except Sudan, recorded an increase in their digital inclusion index score.

In the context of the pandemic, the importance of digital media as a means of communication with the aim of maintaining social contacts became increasingly clear. Digitalization in the education sector was promoted by the “Digital Pact for Schools”, although not without noticeable deficiencies in the infrastructure that underlined the need for digital transformation.

The discussion about fundamental digital rights has intensified. Leading figures such as Heiko Maas argue that a catalog of basic digital rights is necessary to meet the challenges of an increasingly digitalized society. The pandemic has made it clear that digitalization cannot be understood as a temporary phenomenon, but rather as a fundamental process that will sustainably change society.