Cultivating digital citizenship in a datafied age: Survey and experimental evidence from Hong Kong

How can individuals function as active participants in a datafied society? What skills or capacities do they need? This study examines two aspects of digital citizenship in a datafied society— data literacy and data efficacy —using a mixed-methods design in Hong Kong. Based on an original survey ( N = 3279), we find that younger, more educated, and politically dissatisfied individuals demonstrate higher data literacy, and that diverse and frequent digital engagement predicts data literacy. A randomized controlled trial (RCT; N = 624), combined with post-RCT focus groups, further tested the effect of two interventions in improving data literacy and efficacy: informational exposure via a chat messaging app and face-to-face deliberation through a workshop. Both interventions modestly improved data literacy among participants, particularly in the participatory aspect. However, only informational exposure significantly enhanced participants’ data efficacy, while deliberation unexpectedly reduced it. These findings tentatively suggest that informational exposure may be a promising and scalable strategy for strengthening data literacy and efficacy, while deliberative participation appears to heighten critical awareness at the cost of short-term confidence. Our exploratory study underscores the need to design data education programs that balance competence and critical awareness to foster digital citizenship.