12.12.17

Rural India saw 22% rise in number of internet users in one year: Unicef

There has been a 22% increase in the number of internet users in rural India in just one year, says an Unicef study, which for the first time comprehensively looked at the different ways digital technology is affecting children’s lives across the world.

According to the report, despite children’s massive online presence — one in three internet users worldwide is a child — little is done to protect them from the perils and increase access to safe content.

A flagship report released on Monday, “State of World’s Children 2017: Children in a digital world,” says internet users in rural India saw a jump of 22% between between October 2015 and October 2016 to reach an estimated 157 million. Urban internet users grew by 7% during the same period to touch 263 million.

The report also explores benefits digital technology can offer to the most disadvantaged children, including those growing up in poverty or affected by humanitarian emergencies. But it also shows around one third — 346 million — are not online. African youth are the least connected, with around three out of five offline, compared to just one in 25 in Europe.

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