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Understanding Digital Exclusion in the UK: Access, Impact, and Solutions

Digital exclusion remains a significant issue in the UK, affecting various demographics including the elderly, poorly educated, and disabled. While 65% of UK households have internet access, disparities persist, particularly among those aged 65 and older, where 70% have never used the internet. Factors like education and poverty significantly impact access. Government initiatives aim to bridge this divide, providing resources but often falling short due to lack of usage. This situation raises questions about social isolation, community engagement, and the future of an increasingly digital society.

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Understanding Digital Exclusion in the UK: Access, Impact, and Solutions

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Presentation Transcript

  1. Digital Divide: UK • Internet Access in UK • Does Digital Exclusion hurt people? • Can Net/Web help underclass?

  2. Internet Access in UK • 65% of UK households have Internet access • 56% have broadband • Who does not have access? • “digitally excluded” • http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/iahi0808.pdf

  3. Age matters most • Proportion never used Internet • 16-24: very small • 25-44: 8% • 45-54: 17% • 55-64: 44% • 65+: 70%

  4. Education also matters • Household Internet access • 93% of adults with degrees (<70 years) • 56% of adults with no quals (<70 years)

  5. Disabilities matter? • In 2004, only 30% of disabled adults had Internet access • Compared to 50% overall in 2004 • Don’t know what 2008 figures are, I assume gap persists

  6. Does poverty matter? • When asked why their household does not have Internet access, 25% say too expensive • But govt provides free Internet access in public libraries, which is not heavily used • So not just poverty…

  7. Why people say no access • 34%: don’t need it • 24%: don’t want it • 15%: equipment too expensive • 15%: lack skills • 11%: access (phone/broadband) too exp • 10%: have access elsewhere

  8. Why no access • Quotes from Demos report • I’d love to give it a go, I just don’t know where to start • Just stick to what you know, that’s what I say • You can’t miss what you never had • I’m a big fan of using the Internet to send pictures long distance to family, I just don’t think I’ll ever be able to do it

  9. Access mostly at home • Use Internet • At home: 90% • At work: 44% • Someone else’s home: 20% • School, uni: 14% • Library: 4% • Internet café: 5% • Public access (library) not too common

  10. Does location matter? • Five years ago, many rural areas did not have good Internet access • As far as I can tell, this is not a problem in 2008, not much difference in rural/urban household Internet access

  11. Mobile access less common • Access Internet via • Laptop with wireless: 23% • 2G mobile: 15% • 3G mobile: 4% • Different from many third-world countries, where most people access net via mobiles

  12. Summary • Who does not use Internet • Elderly, poorly educated, disabled • don’t want to change • lack skills to use Internet, scared of it? • Put off by jargon: eg, “blog” vs “diary” • harder to use net because of disabilities? • Head-switch vs mouse

  13. Child with Head Switch • [picture of child in wheelchair with head switch]

  14. Many exceptions!! • Many elderly, poorly educated, disabled people use the Internet every day! • Vera (76): I’ve only been using computers for a couple of years, and it took some convincing to get started, but now Iove it • Statistical generalisations, not absolute laws

  15. Impact • Does “digital exclusion” hurt people? • Keep in mind elderly, disabled, poorly educated are already “bottom of the heap” • How would Internet access help these people?

  16. Benefits of E-Society • Cheaper, better goods • Elderly, disabled have hard time shopping around • More social interaction via email, etc • Elderly, disabled often isolated • Better education, work prospects • For poorly educated

  17. Costs of E-Society • Fears that digitally excluded will be left behind as society goes digital • Worse access to govt services • Closure of local bookstores, etc because of e-competition • Feeling left behind in general, as society embraces the web/net • Enhance social isolation

  18. Govt programs • Many govt initiatives • Provide computers to poor people, especially young people • Provide computers in community centes, libraries • Subsidise broadband in rural areas • UK has Minister for Digital Inclusion • Not clear to me what he does…

  19. Example: Social Isolation • Many elderly people in UK live on their own, away from family • Really want contact with (grand)children • Internet can help • Email, Skype, social networks, … • Internet can hurt • Grandchildren not interested in face-to-face visits • How do you interact with your (grand)parents • Does Internet help or hurt?

  20. Can Net help solve social prob • One of UK’s biggest problem is “underclass” • 20% of population who live in sink estates, can’t read, can’t get a job, etc • Can net/web/e-society help such people

  21. SkillSum again • Reminder: research project to assess people with poor reading and maths skills • Web-based • Encourage people to get help if appropriate • Didn’t work well because of tech issues • Would it help if it did work?

  22. Yes it would help • Helping the underclass get good jobs is the best way to help them • They cannot get decent jobs if they cannnot read or do basic maths • E-learning can help them acquire these skills

  23. No it won’t help • Other problems need to be solved • Kate X (16 yrs old, bright, uneducated) • Main barrier is that her peers beat her up (hospitalise her) if she seems to take her education seriously • Brian Y (17 yrs old, bright, uneducated) • Doing well, learning reading/maths; but wants to be a plumber and there aren’t any such jobs locally (and he won’t move)

  24. Stories • Jane Z (24 yrs old, avg intelligence) • Working as shop assistant, can’t get better job unless improve reading/maths • Drug addict: trying to quit, but borrowed money from local pusher at loan shark rates, cannot pay this off, pusher’s goons attacked her boyfriend for non-payment • Hard to help her until drug problem resolved

  25. Can we help • E-Society limited help to people who are truly bottom of heap? • E-Society in third-world countries: not much help to people who are worried about getting enough to eat • E-Society in UK: not much help to drug addict in debt thralldom to local pusher • More help to people who have more moderate problems?

  26. Other ways of helping • E-govt: better access to benefits, social housing • E-commerce: easier to apply for jobs, more aware of jobs outside local area • E-health: info on diet, smoking, etc • Do these work?

  27. Class opinions? • Can we use net/web/e-society to help the underclass? • Or is this pointless because it doesn’t address the “real” underlying problems?

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