Despite our umbilical attachment to digital technology, few Americans have the know-how to effectively protect themselves online.
A new study by the Pew Research Center suggests that while a majority of adults can correctly answer questions about phishing scams or website cookies, other concepts are more…challenging.
For instance, just 28 percent of participants accurately identified an example of two-factor authentication.
Even fewer (24 percent) recognize that private browsing hides your history only from other users of that computer. Nearly half have no idea what the security feature does.
“This survey consisted of 10 questions designed to test Americans’ knowledge of a range of digital topics, such as cybersecurity or the business side of social media companies,” according to the Pew report.
Only three questions were answered correctly by a majority of adults:
- 67 percent grasp that phishing scams can occur across multiple platforms—including email, text, and social media
- 63 percent understand that cookies are text files that allow websites to track users’ site visits and activities.
- 59 percent know that advertising is the largest source of revenue for most social media sites
Americans and digital knowledge (Photo Credit: Pew Research Center)
Most people struggled with privacy policies and net neutrality—two topics that have dominated headlines over the past couple of years. Americans are also relatively clueless about the business side of social networks.
Less than 30 percent of respondents correctly named WhatsApp and Instagram as the two companies owned by Facebook. And when presented with a photo of a grizzled Twitter co-founder and CEO Jack Dorsey, only 15 percent of adults could identify him.
Perhaps I just need to pull my tech-reporter head out of my ass. But I am surprisingly surprised by these results.
As with most Pew Center surveys, results vary by age and education level: Adults with a bachelor’s or advanced degree and those under 50 years old tend to score higher.
Twenty percent of people responded rightly to seven or more inquiries. Just 2 percent got a perfect score.
Test your knowledge by taking the online quiz. (I admittedly bungled a couple of questions, earning a somewhat embarrassing eight out of 10.)
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