Internet skills

Individual and household ICT use are measured in all countries of the EU as determined by the European Commission. Information is collected about access to and use of ICT equipment and the internet by individuals and households. In EU context, the data are reported for the population aged 16-74 years, excluding the institutionalised population. Six internet-related items are used to group the respondents into levels of internet skills. These are:
• use a search engine to find information;
• send an e-mail with attached files;
• post messages in chat rooms, newsgroups or other online message boards;
• use the Internet to make telephone calls (e.g. via Skype);
• use peer-to-peer file sharing for exchanging videos, music etc.
• create a web page.
These activities are then used to classify users into three categories: low level of basic internet skills (individuals who have carried out one or two items); medium level of basic internet skills (individuals who have carried out three or four items) and high level of basic internet skills (individuals who have carried out five or six items).

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