June 27, 2025 Publication of Survey Results on the FY2024 Internet Literacy Indicators for Youth

　The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) has conducted the "FY2024 Survey on Internet Literacy Indicators for Youth" and is pleased to publish a summary of the results.
　The survey was designed to visualize, among other things, the ability to respond to dangers and threats on the Internet. The correct response rate on the test was 71.5%, which is roughly the same as in previous years. By category, the correct response rate was highest for risks related to inappropriate use, such as excessive consumption and Internet addiction, and lowest for risks associated with inappropriate transactions, such as phishing and online trading. In the questionnaire survey, the number of respondents who were taught about "disinformation and misinformation" at school increased from the previous year, indicating that more respondents took appropriate actions, such as checking the source of information when encountering disinformation or misinformation.
　To further enhance ICT literacy among Internet and social media users, including youth, the MIC will promote the "DIGITAL POSITIVE ACTION" initiative, a public-private partnership.

1. Background and content

　To improve the Internet literacy of youth, the MIC believes that it is crucial to visualize their abilities to deal with dangers and threats on the Internet, as well as their current status. The MIC developed a test to visualize these abilities as an indicator (*). Since 2012, the MIC has been conducting the ILAS test among first-year high school students to measure the Internet literacy of youth, along with a questionnaire survey on Internet usage.
　In FY2024, the ILAS test and questionnaire survey were conducted among 5,314 students from 30 schools. The results were compiled and analyzed to produce the "Survey Results on FY2024 Internet Literacy Indicators for Youth."

* ILAS: Internet Literacy Assessment indicator for Students

2. Summary of the results of the FY2024 survey

[Summary of ILAS test results]
・The overall correct response rate was 71.5%, compared to 71.4% for the previous year.

・Regarding the risk subcategories (e.g., 1a to 3b for reference), the correct response rate was highest at 79.2% for questions related to the "risk of inappropriate use," such as excessive consumption or Internet addiction. In contrast, the correct response rate was lowest at 63.1% for questions on the "risk of inappropriate transactions," such as phishing or online trading. The results were almost unchanged from the previous year.

[Summary of survey results]
・Regarding the existence of household rules on Internet use such as social media, 53.4% of all the respondents answered "Yes," an increase from 33.5% in the previous year. Among the respondents who "have household rules" and "use filtering," the correct response rate in the ILAS test was 74.9%, which was higher than the overall correct response rate.

・Regarding safety measures taught at schools, the response rates for "disinformation and misinformation (fake news)," "fact-checking," and "generative AI" increased from the previous year. Opportunities to learn about emerging issues such as "disinformation and misinformation (fake news)" have increased, in addition to existing issues, such as "cyberbullying" and "prolonged use."

・The percentage of the respondents who reported taking appropriate action in response to fake news—such as checking information sources or consulting other references—increased from the previous year.

・Regarding generative AI, 40.1% of all the respondents answered that they have never used it. The most common response regarding AI usage was using it to write text, cited by 35.6% of respondents.

・The most common response regarding the perception of generative AI was that "it will enhance learning efficiency and effectiveness", cited by 33.6% of the respondents.