This morning is day
17 of my self-isolation thanks to #coronavirus. The world has changed. The
social glue has come unstuck and we have turned to technology to allow us to
live and keep us connected.
Communication
channels keep us informed of the latest developments, advice and restrictions.
Social media is keeping our social groups and families together. It is helping
to keep spirits up through the likes of dancing policemen in India
demonstrating how to wash your hands and dancing nurses in England relieving
the tensions with a one minute disco session. To smile and laugh when we can in
these dark times is so important.
But there is a
concern. Catchphrases such as global village and digital native have become the
reality. From last week we can ask our pseudo friend, Alexa for the coronavirus
update from the BBC and “she” will tells us. Local medical surgeries have
closed their doors and we now use the NHS App to order prescriptions and seek
consultations at a distance with our doctor. Those in isolation turn to online
shopping for their groceries, nervously hoping they can find a delivery slot.
Virtual social interactions through Facetime, Skype, WhatsApp, Zoom and others
are now commonplace. So what is the concern? It is an often-overlooked digital
divide; a divide of two dimensions; young - old and high tech – low tech. Let
me deal with these in turn.
Recent statistics
puts the worldwide active digital population at 4.54 billion people which is
about 59% of the global population. So 41% of the global population is reliant
upon other means to remain informed about the pandemic. This is concerning.
However, the most vulnerable to COVID-19 are the elderly and therefore this
section of the population deserves particular attention. Here in the UK 12
million people, about 18% of the population are over 65 years of age. The UK
Office of National Statistics has found that 29% of over 65 year olds have
never used the Internet. That is 3.48 million people which suggests enormous
numbers worldwide are not connected. These vulnerable people do not have the
ability to be supported emotionally or medically through the online. They are
not digital natives, they are digital outcasts.
The second dimension
focuses on access to high technology. Smartphones, virtual assistants, smart
tvs and tablets are typical high technology artefacts which provide a multitude
of interactions to those who can afford, are digitally literate and are not
digitally averse. Low technology offerings such as telephones, radio and tv
provide restricted interactions, the latter two only supporting one-to-many
broadcasting. The low tech dependants are at a disadvantage compared with their
high tech counterparts. In times of need they are reliant upon e-buddies within
the high tech population to support them by acting as gatekeepers.
This overlooked
digital divide, defined by its two critical dimensions, could have catastrophic
consequences in times of emergency such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Understandably
governments are focusing on the operationally feasible urgent actions in their
attempts to overcome the pandemic. However, the digital divide, discussed in
this article, is putting a large proportion of the most vulnerable at even
greater risk because actions will not reach them. Once this crisis is over and
we reflect on the lessons to be learnt, top of the agenda must be to remove
forever this extremely dangerous digital divide. Indeed digital outcasts must
be a thing of the past.
Simon Rogerson, 22 March 2020
