How do students perceive digitalization—that is, the shift of certain activities from the physical world to the digital one? According to a recent survey by the agency Behavio for GTS Alive, 81% of students over 18 associate digitalization with a positive emotion, another 15% view it neutrally. Only four out of one hundred students rate digitalization somewhat negatively. When it comes to one specific aspect of digitalization—replacing physical cards or passes like ISIC with a mobile app—71% have a positive opinion of this change, 19% are neutral, 9% somewhat negative, and only 1% view it as entirely negative.
Students most commonly associate digitalization with simplifying life, easier access to information, time savings, but also dependency on mobile phones—which nearly every student owns. 99% of them have a smartphone: 61% use Android and 38% use an iPhone.
When asked to choose between physical cards and a mobile app, 61% chose the app, 21% preferred physical cards, and 18% didn’t care. Students who preferred the app cited reasons such as always having their phone with them and not needing to search their wallet for a card. They also felt that a mobile phone offers better protection against misuse than a physical card. On the other hand, some students were deterred by the concern that their phone might run out of battery at an inconvenient moment.
The most commonly carried physical items among students are: ID card (100%), ISIC card (72%), dm active beauty card (25%), Lítačka transport pass (22%), and Tesco Clubcard (20%).
Regarding mobile app alternatives to the above cards or passes, students most frequently have the Alive App (ISIC) installed—specifically 69% of them. The second most common is the Tesco Clubcard app, used by 59%, followed by the ČD Můj vlak app (54%).
30% of students use the Alive App (ISIC) at least once a week, another 18% use it at least once a month, 20% less frequently, and the rest do not have the app at all. Usage of other mentioned apps is slightly lower. For example, the Tesco Clubcard app is used at least once a week by 18% of students, once a month by 21%, less often by 18%, and 41% don’t have it installed.
The survey was conducted in November 2024 on a representative sample of 500 people aged 18–29.
Notes for editors:
GTS Alive s.r.o. in the Czech Republic issues and manages ISIC student cards and ISIC Scholar pupil cards, ITIC teacher cards, and, to a lesser extent, other cards. The company was founded in August 2000. Its predecessor in the Czech Republic was GTS International. GTS Alive s.r.o. is part of the international GTS Alive Group, headquartered in Prague, with branches in seventeen countries on four continents.
GTS Alive, through the ISIC PORT chip identification system, also provides many elementary and secondary schools with secure access to their buildings and an electronic attendance system. The company also facilitates travel or accident insurance for students.
For more information, contact:
Jan Šimral, media representative of GTS Alive
Tel.: +420 737 944 370
E-mail: info@jansimral.com
