Reasons for the Use of ICT by Children and Teenagers in Daily Practice - Differentiating Factors

The article presents a fragment of diagnostic-correlational studies of a quantitative-qualitative nature, establishing pupils’ information competence in the use of ICT in the context of technological trends and accompanying civilisational changes. The research seeks answers to the question why children and teenagers use ICT tools in everyday practice. A diagnostic survey method (questionnaire and interview) and statistical methods were used. 2510 pupils were surveyed, and it was established that: 1) pupils’ numerous indications, obtained through open-ended questions, allowed for distinguishing eight important categories - reasons for using new technologies; 2) main reasons for using ICT lie in activities oriented at handling information (18.5%) and activities involving communication, also through social media (16.7%); 3) calculations of differentiating factors revealed statistical differences in three cases, namely between the opinion on reasons for using ICT by children and teenagers and: gender, stage of education, place of education. The treatment of children and teenagers as important stakeholders of the educational process helps improve it through selection of methods and tools adequate to pupils’ needs, expectations and cognitive preferences.