Girls 'more skilled on computers'

The research by the Tesco Computers for Schools programme found girls were more likely than boys to be able to perform key tasks, such as creating documents.

It also showed three-quarters of the seven to 16-year-olds polled used a computer every day, with half spending at least two hours a day online.

Meanwhile, the survey suggested parents relied on children for help.

Child advisers

By the age of seven, nearly three quarters (73%) could use search engines and well over half (62%) were able to edit documents, the research found.

It also showed the level of skills among teenagers meant 70% could confidently create a social networking profile, 59% could download music and more than a third (35%) were able to edit and manipulate photography.

Among the girls in both groups only 6% said they lacked confidence using a computer, compared with 10% of boys.

Many parents also lacked confidence, the survey suggested.

More than half (57%) of parents said they relied on their children for advice on how to use their computer and the internet, and only 40% of parents thought they were the most proficient computer user in their household.

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