Digital Divide: UK

Dr. Ehud Reiter, Computing Science, University of Aberdeen 1

Digital Divide: UK

Internet Access in UK Does Digital Exclusion hurt people? Can Net/Web help underclass?


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


Age matters most

Proportion never used Internet» 16-24: very small» 25-44: 8%» 45-54: 17%» 55-64: 44%» 65+: 70%


Education also matters

Household Internet access» 93% of adults with degrees (<70 years)» 56% of adults with no quals (<70 years)


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


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…


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


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


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


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


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


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


Child with Head Switch

[picture of child in wheelchair with head switch]


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


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?


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


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


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…


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?


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


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?


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


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)


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


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?


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?


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?

Digital Divide: UK

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