A Minimum Digital Living Standard for Households with Children

In a household-based assessment of digital needs conducted by the University of Liverpool, parents and young people defined what is ‘enough’ for a household with children to feel digitally included. Respondents considered devices and internet services, basic functional skills, and critical skills. This Minimal Digital Living Standard (MLDS) includes:

• Digital Goods and Services: Reliable broadband; a smartphone per parent; a laptop, PC, or tablet per household; a set of headphones per school-aged child; a smart TV and entry-level TV subscription service.
• Functional and Practical Skills: Parents should be able to use device functions; download and use apps and programs; save and recover documents; connect to the internet or hot spots; change settings; use Zoom/Google Meet; create an email account and send emails; delete files; monitor data usage; fill out online forms.
• Critical Skills for Understanding and Managing Digital Risk: Parents should be able to use secure passwords; understand in-app purchases; use phone safety features; monitor banking activity online; identify risks and scams; manage social pressures and time online; evaluate quality of information.

For the full report and list of authors, visit: The Minimum Digital Living Survey for Households with Children