Research and policy have invested in the prospect that gaining digital skills enhances children’s and young people’s outcomes. A systematic evidence review of research on digital skills among 12- to 17-year-olds identified 34 studies that used cross-sectional survey methods to examine the association of digital skills with tangible outcomes. Two-thirds concerned the association with online opportunities or other benefits. Another third examined online risks of harm. Findings showed a positive association between digital skills and online opportunities, information benefits, and orientation to technology. Greater digital skills were indirectly linked to greater exposure to online risks, although any link to harm was unclear. While technical skills were linked with mixed or even negative outcomes, information skills were linked with positive outcomes. There was little research on the outcomes of communication or creative digital skills. Future research should examine the dimensions of digital skills separately and encompass a wider range of outcomes.

研究和政策已经投资于获得数字技能可以提高儿童和年轻人的成果的前景。对 12 至 17 岁青少年数字技能研究的系统证据审查确定了 34 项研究，这些研究使用横断面调查方法来检查数字技能与有形成果的关联。三分之二的人关注与在线机会或其他好处的关联。另有三分之一检查了在线伤害风险。结果表明，数字技能与在线机会、信息收益和技术导向之间存在正相关关系。更高的数字技能与更大程度的在线风险间接相关，尽管与伤害的任何联系尚不清楚。虽然技术技能与混合甚至负面结果有关，信息技能与积极成果有​​关。很少有关于沟通或创造性数字技能的结果的研究。未来的研究应该单独检查数字技能的维度，并涵盖更广泛的结果。