The coronavirus pandemic has been credited in Germany with pushing the country closer towards its digital communications goals - but a new study shows that the changes have been a learning curve even for younger people in the country.

Adults aged between 18 and 29, known as "digital natives" because they grew up with the Internet, may be more tech savvy than their elders, but they too have entered new territory in recent months, according to the survey commissioned by price-comparison website Verivox.

Forty percent of people in that bracket said they made a video phonecall for the first time during the pandemic, which has prompted the government to largely ban socialising in person.

One in four said that virtual parties with friends and family were also a new experience, according to the representative poll.

The crisis has meant uncharted territories in the domain of digital learning and home fitness, with just under 30% reporting that they had listened for the first time to an online lecture or talk, while over 30% had taken part in a virtual fitness class.

Almost 60% of young adults said they were keen to use more video calls in the future, even after the crisis is over, while over half plan to pick up the telephone more in general.

 - dpa