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Nearly one in two French people believe they have already been confronted with digital insecurity, that is, having equipment that is too outdated to be able to properly enjoy everything that can be done on the Internet. Young people are today the most affected by the phenomenon, mainly for financial reasons.
Published on the occasion of the start of the school year by the refurbished equipment specialist Back Market, this study shows that young people are the first victims of digital insecurity in France. Nearly two-thirds of 18-24 year-olds (62%) say they have already been confronted with this problem, compared to only 37% of 50-64 year-olds.
This is explained in particular by the fact that nearly one in two parents (48%) say they cannot equip their children properly. Unsurprisingly, this concern is even more pronounced (62%) among families with modest incomes. Added to this is the fact of having to share certain devices within the same household. For example, one in five French people say they have to share their computer with other members of their family, thus limiting their personal Internet access time.
This is obviously felt in terms of usage, with one in ten French people considering that they do not have sufficiently efficient equipment to carry out certain daily tasks, whether it be schoolwork, administrative tasks or tasks related to their professional activity.
39% of French people believe that a lack of equipment is detrimental to their professional ambitions. 19% even admit to having already missed one or more opportunities because of their faulty digital equipment. In the end, almost half of them have to dip into their savings to buy or replace their old digital equipment.
An overwhelming majority of respondents (87%) consider that digital equipment costs too much anyway. While 63% of French people would like to renew or acquire at least one digital device in the coming months, almost half of them (42%) cannot afford it.
This study was carried out by OpinionWay for Back Market, on July 24 and 25, 2024, with a sample of 1,017 people, representative of the French population aged 18 and over.