Looking at the influence that technology has had on our society is in a lot of ways inspiring. We have gone from a time when computers took up entire rooms to being able to access all aspects of our lives on a device that can fit in our pocket, in less than fifty years. The Digital 2021 Report compiled by We Are Social UK (2021) records that almost 97% of the world’s population owns a smartphone, and that 92% of these use the device to access the internet. These figures show how advancing technology has permeated our lives, whether we use these devices to access news and information, perform our daily banking and finance needs, or connect with others through social media, and this is only set to increase over the coming years.
However, the increase of technology in society, as well as society’s reliance on this technology, comes with its own set of challenges. There is a certain divide that has been recognised between those who have and those who don’t. This “digital divide” stemming from those who can access these devices and technology and those who can not. We have seen this digital divide become wider during the current COVID-19 pandemic which has forced many across the world to access work and study remotely. As Lai and Widmar (2020) note, it is not only a lack of devices that has seen this gap widen through the pandemic, but also the lack of reliable internet access. If we are to begin bridging this gap, organisations and educational institutions need to consider these challenges, as more people remotely access their work and education.
Alternatively, the advances in technology have provided the ability to create and offer digital literacy programs that aim to help develop the skills needed to live, learn and work in a world increasingly defined by digital technology. Whether this means learning how to connect to and access the internet, how to send emails, teaching safe online practices, or how to use social media platforms, these programs can provide the foundation learning needed to navigate the online world (Alleman, 2018). With the ever increasing reliance on technology, being “digital literate” is becoming an essential skillset, and these programs are being shown as what is needed to both teach and empower participants towards digital confidence.
Alleman, K. (2018, May 1). Digital literacy support in libraries: More than just your computer classes. Public Libraries Online. http://publiclibrariesonline.org/2018/05/digital-literacy-support-in-libraries-more-than-just-your-computer-classes/
Go Guardian. (2019) Digital divide [Image]. https://www.goguardian.com/blog/what-is-the-digital-divide
Lai, J. & Widmar, O. (2020). Revisiting the digital divide in the COVID-19 era. Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, 43(1), 458-464. https://doi.org/10.1002/aepp.13104
We Are Social. (2021). Digital 2021. https://wearesocial.com/uk/blog/2021/01/digital-2021-the-latest-insights-into-the-state-of-digital/