Perceived discrimination and digital inequalities among children and young people: studying the multidimensional concepts of digital skills and digital knowledge

Although young people spend increasing amounts of time on the internet, many caveats remain in the literature with regard to the development of digital skills. We focus on the influence of perceived discrimination given its strong link with youth development. We also consider the multidimensional nature of digital skills, focusing on five dimensions, and on digital knowledge. Using online survey data from 6221 children and young people aged 12–20 in six European countries, we seek to understand how discriminated youths may differ from their more advantaged peers with respect to digital skills. The findings show that young people who are discriminated against generally hold greater digital skills than their counterparts who are not being discriminated against. The relationship between perceived discrimination and digital skills is partially mediated by peer support and internet use. We discuss these findings in light of young people’s increased social isolation due to discrimination.