The Digital Election – Is it engaging young people?

So we’re three weeks away from the big day now, the event we’ve been excitedly anticipating for longer than I care to remember. No it’s not the start of the World Cup, nor is it the Britains Got Talent Final; it’s the 2010 General Election. OK, so maybe it’s not keeping you awake at night with uncontrollable enthusiasm, but following the deepest and most damaging recession for more than a generation the outcome of the election on 6th May will have a long lasting impact.

I was excited to hear politicians suggest this would be the first ‘digital election’, an opportunity to engage a generation supposedly more interested in the latest TV talent show than policies on economic recovery or Afghanistan.

Whilst we still have some way to go, it does seem we really are witnessing a shift in the way political issues are discussed and shared. The first of three TV leaders’ debates last week saw an estimated 2,500 tweets every minute; discussing everything from the colour of the leader’s ties to serious policy analysis. Ingenious web techies across the country have developed a range of online tools to encourage people to take notice. From the rather satisfying ‘Slapometer’ to using twitter to create real time opinion polls, the internet is proving that whilst the major parties still seem to be missing the point when it comes to digital engagement there are plenty of people showing just how powerful it can be.

For years I’ve been angered by reference to the so called ASBO generation. “Young people don’t care!” “Teenage society is broken!” We’ve heard it all. The reason this type of rhetoric has gone unchallenged is the unwillingness of the political classes to engage with, and attempt to listen to, the millions of brilliant young people working hard to make their small part of our world a little better. Maybe the internet has finally given everyone a voice.

I’ve been staggered by the passion many of my peers have shown in this election, but I don’t believe this is entirely down to the fad of social networking. Young people care about what the government does. Students graduating this year are doing so into the most competitive job market imaginable, and they may well be footing the bill of the budget deficient for the better part of their working lives. Millennials care about issues of equality and freedom of speech; and the response to the steamrollering of the Digital Economy Bill onto the statue books illustrates brilliantly how young people understand and care about the decisions that shape our society.

The internet has not caused this passion, but is has given a voice to young people where they may have otherwise been ignored. Whoever walks up to number 10 on 7th May will do well to remember that a politically engaged young generation demand and expect so much more. Deals made in darkened Westminster offices about issues that really affect young people will not be tolerated if this trend continues.

ePetitions – the latest political bargaining chip or a real opportunity for engagement?

If you’ve not already switched off from the party ‘tit-for-tat’ that is the run up to the spring election, you may have noticed that last month saw a new political football thrown onto the field. A government motion was approved to research into an e-petition system that could force parliament to debate any issue that attracts enough support online. David Cameron responded immediately with a suggestion that any petition that attracted a million signatures should become an issue serious enough for debate. “It’s absurd that a tiny percentage of the population craft legislation that will apply to the entire population. Instead of locking people out of the process, we need to invite them in.”

It remains unclear how many of us would use such a tool. However, does the possibility of an e-petition site open the door to real political inclusion for an otherwise disengaged millennial generation, or is it just the latest fad buzzing around the Blackberrys of Westminster Village? The Number 10 e-petition site, setup to give anyone the ability to deliver a petition directly to the PM, has already had plenty of success. A campaign last year saw the government formally apologise to the late Alan Turing for his prosecution as a homosexual in 1952, whilst a petition signed by 1.8 million people forced a u-turn over road tax proposals. However, notable successes apart it does not seem likely that we will see a discussion in parliament any time soon, as one popular petition demands, on the issue of whether Jeremy Clarkson should be prime minister. So does a large number of responses always indicate it’s a good thing to look at?

Once again, and quite frustratingly, this would appear to be an attempt by baby-boomer led political parties to win over the important Facebook vote; but the policy makers have again missed the point. Petitions, be them online or on paper, are one way tools which offer no forum for discussion or collaboration. eDemocracy promises much more than this, doesn’t it? The council in Melbourne, Australia have successfully used a wiki site where citizens can read, review and edit the ‘city vision’ for the future of the city. This is precisely the type of initiative that brings the wisdom of crowds fully into the process of governing. Governments can avoid single issue groups by taking the discussion to other parts of the web where issues are already being keenly debated, such as social networks. Engagement is not about waiting for people to talk to you, it’s about finding out where the discussion is already happening.

As for e-petitions, its seems we are yet again destined to spend money on something that we already have, just in a digital form. My suggestion: a petition to force a complete rethink over eDemocracy. Who’s with me?

UPDATE - 11/03/2010

The Conservatives today announced a new ‘Technology Manifesto’ that suggested a government under their control would “throw open the doors of Parliament”. The manifesto proudly uses the phrase ‘wisdom of crowds’ but with no indication as to how they will actually harness the opinions of the electorate in policy decisions.

On balance most would welcome the announcements in the same document that alludes to, without firm commitments or time scales, 100Mbps broadband for the UK. However, less than 100 words describing the Tory’s use of technology is really not enough to convince any of us that they really understand what they are talking about when it comes to eDemocracy. There are plenty of us ready to offer advice, so it’s time to listen Cameron and Co – let’s not waste this opportunity.

Digital Inclusion – government hype or socially vital?

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.