Only 53% of Britons can name their MPChartered Institute for IT launches ‘Savvy Citizens Campaign'
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The research was carried out as part of the launch of a campaign from the BCS called the Savvy Citizens.
The survey also shows:
• 83% want information about government and public services to be more freely available
• 48% have visited their local council's website
• 31% have signed an on-line petition
• Only 5% are members of on-line discussion boards
Elizabeth Sparrow, President, BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, said: ‘The Institute believes that information savvy citizens are critical to a successful information society. Unless all members of society are made aware of how they can access and use information in their daily lives, the significant proportion of Britons who are failing to realise the benefits of information technology will persist. This is not just a question of access: information Savvy Citizens should know how to use information in all areas of their lives including politics and citizenship. Education, attitude and skills are key if we want to create an information society with information Savvy Citizens.'
The Savvy Citizens campaign, including a new website, Savvycitizens.bcs.org, is designed to help people by signposting useful and expert sources of information and advice. It is hoped people will contribute to the site and share their knowledge.
By analysing people's behaviour and attitudes over 23 measures, the Institute has created what it sees as a ‘working description' of what being an information Savvy Citizen looks like.
The research suggests that the public is becoming increasingly sophisticated in its use of information in some areas such as commerce, safety and culture. For example, over three in five have used a price comparison website, 71% make sure they use secure passwords wherever possible and almost 60% have used video on demand services. However, levels of ‘savviness' are lacking in other areas, most notably the environment: just one in six have calculated their carbon footprint online.
Demographically, the gender divide still persists, results suggest that the Savvy Citizen, while by no means exclusively so, is more likely to be male, aged 18-44, in full time employment and educated to degree level or above. The Savvy Citizen is also more likely to own new technologies such as smartphones and e-readers and spends in excess of ten hours a week on the internet, which they will typically have access to both at home and at work.
Elizabeth Sparrow continued: 'The research suggests that in some areas people are becoming savvier about the value of information. For example, nine out of ten are conscious and concerned about which organisations have their personal information and what use they make of it. But, at the same time, almost one third don't take even basic safety precautions, like using strong passwords, to protect their identities.'
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