101 Chapter VII The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Competence of the Young Liisa Ilomäki University of Helsinki, Finland Marja Kankaanranta University of Jyväskylä, Finland Copyright © 2009, IGI Global, distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. ABSTRACT This chapter discusses the information and communication technology (ICT) competence of the young. The discussion focuses on students at lower and upper secondary school, especially young people aged 10-18. It explores how the strategic initiatives and implementation efforts of ICY have reached out to the level of young citizens. The aim is to consider their ICT competence as well as their use of ICT in school and during the leisure time. The authors also consider the significance and role of gaming, the gender differences regarding ICT skills and use, and the differences between the young and adults in their skills and use of ICT. THE KNOWLEDGE SOCIETY AND EXPECTATIONS OF ICT IN EDUCATION The rapid distribution of information and com- munication technology (ICT) in almost all areas of society has also occurred in education, and all OECD countries have invested heavily in ICT for educational use (OECD, 2004). The same trend regarding heavy ICT investment in education has become evident in many developing countries, especially in South-East Asia (see Pelgrum, 2008). Worldwide, the utilization of information technol- ogy in education has been regarded an essential factor for economic growth, and the concept of the information society 1 is based on the belief that knowledge is the driving force for technol- ogy development and that the knowledge work