We are all used to new buzz words popping up from both media and government. New Government Enterprise Tsar; Champion for Healthy Living; National Deck Chair Regeneration Task Force. Okay, I exaggerate, but it seems endless doesn’t it?
So with the announcement this summer of the UK’s first Digital Inclusion Task Force, the naturally sceptical among us would have sighed and got on with enjoying that rainy July. But is this another PR exercise, or an acceptance that digital exclusion is a serious issue facing our internet driven world? A quick glance over the stats paints quite a picture:
* Over 10 million adults have never accessed the internet, 4 million of which are socially excluded.
* Those earning over £40k per annum are twice as likely to be digitally included as those earning £12.5k
* An Internet Savvy worker will earn, on average, £8000 more than someone who is digital excluded.
The financial facts alone don’t tell us the full story. A recent study by UK Online Centres, who do a great job bringing internet drop in centres to some of the UK’s most deprived communities, set up 40 families from Tower Hamlets, East London with home broadband and support for 6 months, and monitored their progress. A fairly conclusive 97% of those who took part said that broadband had made a difference to their lives. Rubi, a 25-year-old mother of two, is now e-mailing friends in India rather than sending hand-written letters, is banking online and has drawn up a new CV.
Stories of courageous bloggers from places like Iran or Cuba trying to break down their digital divide are inspiring. But we don’t have to look so far from home to find examples of social barriers holding millennials back.
I’m sure we’ll see some trivial issues debated in the run up to next year’s election; with a decent helping of spin. But surely the debate as to the how we tackle to issues of digital exclusion isn’t one of them. There are, of course, benefits to universal broadband access for the country's bean counters. Millions saved here, Billions there. Yet the opportunities for a digitally included society run far deeper.
The UK’s Digital Inclusion Champion believes "there is both a moral and economic imperative for the wider community to take the issue of digital inclusion much more seriously." Fluffy job title maybe... but massively important work!
A simple experiment you can do: cut yourself off from the net for a week. No Smartphone, No Netbook, No PC! A minor irritation or genuinely debilitating? As someone always online, living and working with others exactly the same, it’s easy to forget how much it matters.
Such a good post Rob. I didn't know there were such inequalities when it comes to the web. Because the internet has become a given to many of us I think we might have forgotten about the people who can't afford internet access and those who simply can't access because of their location. Every web enthusiast talks about the "next big thing" on the web and it becomes easy to neglect the millions who cant access the internet. I am looking forward to see if the government can do anything about this!
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