Digital skills among youth: A dataset from a three-wave longitudinal survey in six European countries
Hana Macháčková, Marie Jaron Bedrosova, Michal Mužík, Rostislav Zlamal, Jana Fikrlová, Anna Literová, Eliška Dufková, David Šmahel, Hajo G. Boomgaarden, Hyunjin Song, Petro Tolochko, Leen d’Haenens, Willem Joris, Вероника Калмус, Mari-Liis Tikerperi, Signe Opermann, Marit Napp, Indrek Soidla, Andre Uibos, Kadri Soo, Katariina Salmela‐Aro, Jussi Järvinen, Rasmus Mannerström, Erkki Suvila, Natalia Waechter, Christin Brando, Stepanka Kadera, Giovanna Mascheroni, Davide Cino, Linda Lombi, Alexander Johannes Aloysius Maria van Deursen, Ester van Laar, Jacek Pyżalski, Natalia Walter, Agnieszka Iwanicka, Cristina Ponte, Susana Batista, Rita Baptista, Luc Schneider, Ellen Helsper
Abstract
This dataset provides longitudinal survey data from a European project, ySKILLS, which was focused on the role of digital skills in youths' development. It contains data from 10,821 participants from Grades 6-10 (in Wave 1) in Estonia, Finland, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Portugal. The data was collected between Spring 2021 and Spring 2023, the participants were recruited through schools, where the data collection also took place, except for online data collections due to restrictions caused by COVID-19. The dataset is novel in its multidimensional approach to the construct of digital literacy. It provides insight into the development of digital skills in youth and the role of digital skills and internet usage in youths' positive and negative online experiences and wellbeing. It also contains data that allows for the analysis of the role of digital skills in class networks. The data are beneficial for researchers interested in the examination of youths' online skills, internet usage, online experiences, and wellbeing from a longitudinal perspective.