Digital Exclusion

As smart technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), automation and Internet of Things (IoT) are increasingly embedded into commercial and government services, we are faced with new challenges in digital inclusion to ensure that existing inequalities are not reinforced and new gaps that are created can be addressed. Digital exclusion is often compounded by existing social disadvantage, and new systems run the risk of creating new barriers and harms. Adopting a case study approach, this paper examines the exclusionary practices embedded in the design and implementation of social welfare services in Australia. We examined Centrelink’s automated Online Compliance Intervention system (‘Robodebt’) and the National Disability Insurance Agency’s intelligent avatar interface ‘Nadia’. The two cases show how the introduction of automated systems can reinforce the punitive policies of an existing service regime at the design stage and how innovative AI systems that have the potential to enhance user participation and inclusion can be hindered at implementation so that digital benefits are left unrealised.

A popularização das conexões à Internet em banda larga foi um importante avanço tecnológico no desenvolvimento da rede e, no que tange à circulação de informações e o acesso ao conhecimento e cultura, tornou-se a expressão mais importante do que se convenciona chamar de convergência tecnológica ou de mídia. O processo de expansão do acesso à banda larga é, entretanto, notadamente e historicamente desigual, criando os chamados abismos digitais. A universalização da banda larga, entendido como o acesso equitativo e qualitativo à rede, tem ganhado a atenção de governos e tornou-se alvo de uma série de políticas em diferentes países. No Brasil, o Programa Nacional de Banda Larga (PNBL) foi o mais importante conjunto de políticas neste sentido. O objetivo desta pesquisa é justamente entender o papel do PNBL (2010-2014) no contexto de universalização do acesso à Internet banda larga, sob a perspectiva do acesso privado domiciliar, considerando a importância que a rede tem adquirido em todo o mundo e as desigualdades observadas em sua expansão. O estudo, realizado a partir de uma revisão da literatura e de acesso a dados oficiais e a pesquisas sobre o setor, se divide em três capítulos que abordam: o contexto de formação e regulamentação do mercado de telecomunicações no Brasil, a discussão do papel das políticas públicas para a Comunicação e a análise do Programa Nacional de Banda Larga. Constatamos que o programa não cumpriu o seu objetivo inicial de conectar à Internet banda larga fixa 50% dos domicílios urbanos e 15% dos domicílios rurais. Entre as razões apontadas estão a baixa capilaridade dos planos de Banda Larga Popular e o contingenciamento dos investimentos previstos na Telebras. Uma série de questões relevantes para as políticas públicas de Comunicação se sobressaem na finalização do PNBL, principalmente a necessidade de um debate regulatório sobre a rede enquanto um serviço essencial e um planejamento estruturado para o setor a fim de dirimir os abismos digitais.

Abstract: Information Communication Technology (ICT) is one of the driving forces of globalization and provides developing countries with opportunities for development. Great efforts have been given by each government of a developing nation to provide physical access to ICTs in a bid to bridge the gap between the digitally excluded and the digitally included, however this paper argues that digital divide will continue to widen as long as governments of developing countries do not look beyond physical access to ICTs. This study argues that any discussion of the phenomenon of the digital divide must look beyond equitable physical access and take into consideration issues to do with content and capacity, capacity-building, infrastructural development and appropriation of ICT. The research has been done by disseminating questionnaires to Computing and Information systems students at Botswana Accountancy College(BAC) on access to ICTs in their previous schools. The results suggested a hu...

Digital space is fast transforming the way we communicate, building social relations, a sense of entertainment, business, political campaign and an arena of exclusion for certain social groups. The COVID-19 pandemic exposes the deep digital divide and social inequality among different social groups in India. Digital exclusion is the new horizon of social exclusion. This paper charts out where tribes in Northeast India stand in terms of digital infrastructure/space. The paper argues that digitalising welfare schemes/programmes and e-governance without adequate digital/IT infrastructure further marginalised and excluded tribes from development processes leading to disempowerment.

This paper takes a national perspective on issues of digital media use. The paper draws upon the Ofcom 2013 Media Literacy survey to explore how digital media use varies in regard to two major social variables – class and age. Both class and age feature predominantly in UK policy on digital access and use. Class and age are invoked as elements that create barriers to access or as issues to be addressed and managed through using digital media. Despite the large body of work on the 'digital divide' there is a more limited literature that explicitly addresses class. The paper seeks to act as an empirical reference point for the development of further debate around the links between class and digital media use. The paper presents a factor analysis of the Ofcom data that identifies five main areas of digital media use. These five factors are then subjected to a multiple analysis of variance to explore the effects across, between and within age and class categories. A cluster analysis based on the factors identifies seven main 'User Types' that are again compared across class and age. The paper finds that class and age act relatively independently as predicators of digital media use and neither compound or mitigate each other's effects. Importantly the paper notes that the greatest levels and breadth of Internet use can be found in National Readership Survey (NRS) social class groups AB and to an extent C1. In contrast, the greatest levels of non-use and limited use can be found in NRS social class groups DE. In conclusion the paper notes that age still acts as the major explanatory variable for overall use and some specific types of use, but that class also independently acts to explain patterns of digital media use. As a result, any simplistic policy expectations that digital access and use issues will become less relevant as age demographics change have to be questioned.

“When Tim Berners-Lee invented the world wide web 24 years ago he thought he'd created an egalitarian tool that would share information for the greater good. But it hasn't quite worked out like that. What went wrong?” (The Guardian, 2014).
This research studies the digital inequalities and barriers that hinder people in the UK to engage with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in their everyday life and the policies that the government adopted since the late 1990s in order to tackle these forms of digital exclusion.
It reviews the academic literature that surrounds the digital divide and the links between digital and social exclusion. Social and digital exclusion not only affect those who do not take part in the transformations of the ‘information society’ but it also damages the economy of the country, “and it’s now holding Britain back” (Knight in McDonald, 2014).
Through the analysis of UK digital inclusion policies, this study provides a closer look at the different approaches adopted by the ministers and department appointed to deal with the issue over the years. These changes greatly reflect the priorities of the different governments. However, in spite of all the efforts to engage digitally excluded groups with ICT, 11 million people in the UK have never used ICT. Research conducted by the government has repetitively indicated that the main barrier appeared to be non-users lack of interest and motivation.
The study is based on three months of participant observation within an ICT training in a Community Centre in east London. It unveils the different reasons that motivate non-users to engage with ICT and the struggles and challenges in order to do so. Finally, this research calls attention to the need for a more comprehensive approach in the development of policies that takes into account the different factors that motivate non-users, as well as their needs and social circumstances, in order to enhance their interests and engagement with ICT.

La pretensión de este artículo no es otra que observar críticamente si las nuevas tecnologías son realmente un modelo versátil que facilitan las relaciones sociales frente a entornos más complejos, o, por el contrario, se están reproduciendo los problemas de las grandes urbes de guetos, comunidades cerradas, etc., ya que se debe de tener en cuenta que al excluir del acceso a las nuevas tecnologías de la información a la población inmigrante y sus asociaciones estamos limitando su papel como agentes dinamizadores de procesos y del codesarrollo en su máxima expresión.

RESUMEN: Las nuevas Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TIC) están produciendo cambios acelerados en el ámbito social, cultural, económico y educativo. Nunca tantas personas habían accedido a las innovaciones tecnológicas en tan poco tiempo. Pero además de oportunidades, esta es una sociedad de barreras: no sólo crea nuevas brechas entre colectivos sociales, sino que mantiene las anteriores aunque articuladas de forma diferente. De hecho, para adecuar el capital humano a los requerimientos de la Sociedad de la Información y del Conocimiento, y fomentar una verdadera inclusión digital, es necesario reducir la brecha digital, y esto es especialmente importante en el caso de las mujeres. En este artículo se recogen las reflexiones y conclusiones extraídas de los análisis de las sesiones de ocho grupos de discusión organizados con diversos perfiles de usuarias y no usuarias de Internet, así como grupos de control realizados con hombres. Este tipo de análisis permite explora...

Tekst porusza problem wykluczenia cyfrowego jako jednej z form wykluczenia społecznego.

W pierwszej części tekstu zdefiniowane zostaje pojęcie wykluczenia społecznego, a następnie wykluczenia cyfrowego. W dalszej kolejności przedstawiona jest analiza porównawcza korzystania z Internetu w Polsce, Czechach, Słowacji oraz na Węgrzech – krajach tworzących Grupę Wyszehradzką.

Government visions of a digital future show little indication of how disabled people, reliant on access technology, will participate. Access technology has the potential to offer independent use of the Internet but many disabled people already face barriers that ...

A dominant narrative of mobile technologies and work-home boundaries in women’s lives in Western Europe and North America frames technology as a liberating force: enabling successful women to juggle home and work responsibilities. This paper explores the meaning of these boundaries and the mobile technologies that are used to manage them in the lives of poorer young women in the UK. Early findings from qualitative research with socially excluded young women are discussed, along with a brief survey of relevant mobile technology research.

This paper describes findings from the Penceil Project which aims to explore the experiences of non and minimal users of ICTs, how non-use affects their inclusion or exclusion from society and how they can learn to use ICTs to meet their personal goals. The paper considers the applicability of the Technology Adoption Model (TAM) to understanding the experiences of this group of people. By looking at theories of social exclusion and the project research findings to date the paper argues that TAM: is limited in the range of social conditions it anticipates; and, thus, presumes a facility in formulating aspirations for use that people excluded from the use of ICTs do not have. We consider the implications of these conclusions for designing a revised Basic ICT curriculum and describe a new curriculum based on the research findings. We argue that, as ICTs in general – and internet use in particular – are experienced technologies, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use will have to be re-formulated to recognise limitations on people’s ability to construct plans for future action since an actor’s world is disclosed through action not given in advance.

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The development of the information society has highlighted the existence of obstacles preventing
certain social groups from accessing and properly using technologies, leading to new forms of exclusion from the job market, governmental institutions, leisure and academic activities. However, reducing the gap between those who connect and those who do not by offering cheaper and faster physical access does not automatically translate into closing the gap in terms of digital inequalities. The technological determinist position, which sees access to technology as being able to solve social problems, including problems of social inequality, democracy, freedom, social relationships and sense of community, is misleading. In fact, several dimensions and patterns can generate and reinforce inequalities, further increasing the distances between citizens/users. The term “digital divide”, often used as a binary expression, is confusing, because it suggests a one- dimensional gap, mainly based on the economic factor – possession of technologies –, while there are gaps in multiple dimensions that go beyond the simple access to or possession of resources. These dimensions create digital inequalities that, if not mirrored, can produce and reinforce social inequalities. The concepts of social and digital stratification are intimately intertwined

El presente artículo se propone contribuir al debate teórico sobre la naturaleza institucional de la difusión tecnológica, a la luz de la evidencia encontrada en el desarrollo de las iniciativas de acceso universal a Internet en Colombia, las cuales se enmarcan en la política de telecomunicaciones sociales, vigente desde 1995. Una vez introducidos los fundamentos que orientan la discusión teórica, y su aplicación concreta en el campo de las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TIC), se exponen las lecciones más relevantes acerca de los condicionamientos institucionales que se desprenden de la interacción entre Estado y mercado, diseño de intervenciones públicas, y elecciones técnicas, para las oportunidades de acceso a Internet en las zonas rurales del país; en razón de la pertinencia que tiene actualmente la búsqueda de alternativas para viabilizar la vida en el campo, con ocasión de las proyecciones sobre los escenarios de pos-conflicto. Por último se esbozan las conclusiones que permiten desvirtuar algunos paradigmas que revisten las decisiones de acción pública, de las que surge el afianzamiento de la exclusión digital en el país.

Due to law rates of ICT consumption among individuals aged 65+ in Poland (14% use computer and Internet, 55% use cell phones), they are treated in public discourse as homogenic digitally excluded group. Drawing upon ethnographic data, practice theory and Lipovetsky’s theory of transition from custom to fashion, this paper proposes a new look at use and disuse of ICT among elders.
The research method was multi-sited ethnography among 18 individuals living in Warsaw, born between 1918 and 1942 (pre-war generation, war generation, post-war generation, the Thaw generation). According to life course approach, biographical narratives were conducted beside in-depth interviews and participant observation.
Among pre-war generation, social practices were regulated by customary norms. ICT were perceived with anxiety as ‘strangers’ – possibly dangerous novelties. Among war – and post-war generations, ICT were treated as necessities facilitating satisfaction of needs. The important factor of the development of this attitude was the Enlightement idea of progress, widely propagated by the socialist state of People’s Republic of Poland after the WWII. Among the Thaw generation, social practices were regulated by fashion, understood as imitation of new external models of behaviour in order to fi nd emotional stimulation. Individuals engage into practices to gain emotional advantages. Skills connected with using ICT are elements of most of today’s social practices. Digital competences are acquired incidentally during engaging into practices.

Digital Technologies are changing societal, personal and organisational lives. Access to some technologies becomes essential to fully participate in social interactions. Lack of access to necessary Information Technologies (Digital Divide) results in social exclusion. With the continuous evolvement of Information Technologies, the skills and capabilities required for digital participation are also changing. This paper aims at identification of current necessary and essential skills, capabilities and access to technologies from the viewpoint of service-dominant approach. An empirical investigation into ICT skills necessary for employment in different industry sectors is proposed to identify sets of necessary and transferable digital skills. The identification of these sets will not only enhance our theoretical understanding of how the digital divide changes over time, but will also allow policy and training efforts to be focused on (new) skills needed to reduce the gap.

The integration and adoption of digital technologies have enabled improvements in the quality of and inclusion in higher education. However, a significant proportion of the population has either remained or become digitally excluded. This systematic literature review elucidates the factors underlying the concepts of " digital exclusion " and the " digital divide " in higher education. The identified factors are grouped into three categories: social exclusion (i.e., low income, ICT-avoidance as the norm, lack of motivation and commitment, and physical or mental disability), digital exclusion (i.e., lack of hardware devices and Internet services) and accessibility (which include the division between rural and urban areas, as well as disparities in ICT literacy and information literacy). These factors are multi-tiered and overlapping. Studies on the digital divide, digital exclusion, and barriers to ICT adoption in higher education deal with similar factors, but these are experienced differently in different contexts. While generalizing these factors into categories enables a better understanding of the nature of digital exclusion, solving and circumventing them remains complex due their dependency on the particular context of a higher education institution.

Este artículo presenta los resultados de una investigación cualitativa sobre la percepción de personas internas del centro penitenciario de Topas, Salamanca (España) en torno a las oportunidades educativas y el uso de TICs que realizan en la cárcel. Valoran como un hándicap la brecha tecnológica y la falta de oportunidades para compensarla, ya que, en su opinión, frenará sus oportunidades de reinserción.
El derecho al acceso a las nuevas tecnologías de la información y la comunicación está recogido en el marco del Derecho a la Educación. Se trata de un Derecho Fundamental contemplado en el ordenamiento jurídico nacional e internacional, que parece encontrar una de sus fisuras en un modelo de cárcel en el que las penas de privación de libertad se suman a la restricción de acceso a estas tecnologías, a pesar de que la cárcel se defina por su finalidad reeducativa y resocializadora.

Issues around digital exclusion may be in their infancy but
they are developing fast. The Internet has the potential to offer
equity of digital access for enabling individual independence
and empowerment in an increasingly digital society. However,
for many users of assistive technologies, this remains a problematic
scenario. Citizens, who already experience disablement through
social failure to recognize difference and diversity of need, may
be doubly disabled by exclusive digital policy and practice. There
is an urgent need to research the implications of this exclusion
for human service educators and practitioners.

Spośród blisko 13 milionów Polaków po pięćdziesiątym roku życia, ponad 10 milionów (78%) nie korzysta z Internetu. Zjawisko to, określane mianem wykluczenia cyfrowego, niesie ze sobą wiele konsekwencji zarówno z perspektywy jednostki, jak i całego społeczeństwa. Niniejsza publikacja przedstawia przyczyny, następstwa oraz sposoby przeciwdziałania temu procesowi przedstawia.
Do generacji 50+ należy aż 42% dorosłych Polaków, a osoby z tej grupy to zaledwie 18% Internautów. Pod względem korzystania z sieci przez osoby starsze Polska zajmuje jedne z ostatnich miejsc wśród krajów Unii Europejskiej. Jednocześnie  Polacy w wieku 50+ mają znacząco niższe kompetencje cyfrowe, w porównaniu do osób w wieku 16-49. Osoby po pięćdziesiątym roku życia deklarują, że niskie kompetencje ograniczają je, a wręcz zniechęcają do korzystania z sieci. Tymczasem badania potwierdzają, że zdobycie przez osoby 50+ umiejętności korzystania z komputera i Internetu może mieć wymierne korzyści związane z podtrzymaniem ich aktywności zawodowej, możliwościami awansu w pracy, jakością życia, większą aktywnością społeczną i częstszym uczestnictwem w kulturze i życiu towarzyskim. E-integracja generacji 50+ jest dziś ważnym wyzwaniem dla naszego kraju, zwłaszcza gdy w perspektywie najbliższych lat i postępującego procesu starzenia społeczeństwa, pokolenie 50+ będzie stanowić coraz liczniejszą grupę społeczną. Stąd niezwykle istotne jest budowanie świadomości cyfrowej osób w wieku 50+ oraz upowszechnianie wśród nich korzystania z Internetu. Tymczasem pod względem korzystania z sieci przez starsze grupy wiekowe, Polska wciąż zajmuje jedne z ostatnich pozycji wśród krajów Unii Europejskiej.

The advantage of digital data is its flexibility which ensures it can be available in multiple formats and customised to suit individual preference. This makes it a powerful tool for establishing equity of access to digital landscapes in particular for users of assistive technology. The expression ‘Digital Divide’ originally referred to access to technology and, while this remains relevant, it now also refers to the quality of that access. Possession of the hardware alone cannot guarantee equity of participation. For users of assistive technologies in particular, all the prerequisites for access can be in place but if the digital data has not been designed with the needs of their technology in mind then their access will continue to be denied. To work effectively within digital landscapes, and transform the curriculum for the needs for future learners both on and off campus, requires an understanding of inclusive digital practice so as to minimise barriers to access. These requirements should be neither under-estimated nor their presence assumed. As the use of digital landscapes for educational purposes increases care must be taken not to widen the divide between inclusive and exclusive digital practice. This paper suggests that priority should be given to ensuring accessible digital content within higher education and that this requires individual responsibility supported by a whole institution approach; both of which must recognise the value of digital inclusion.

The COVID-19 pandemic has meant a rapid transfer of everyday activities to the online world. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have become more embedded than ever in people's lives. This investigation addresses how this change has affected the lives of people with intellectual disabilities (ID). A two-step design was used. A rapid review was conducted on empirical studies published List of abbreviations: AMSTAR, assessing the methodological quality of systematic reviews; ASD, autistic spectrum disorder; ICT, information and communication technologies; ID, intellectual disability; PRISMA, preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses; UNCRPD, united nations convention on the rights of persons with disabilities; WHO, world health organisation.

Rapid, continuous, and irreversible technological advancements are reshaping how individuals navigate the information society. The growing range and capabilities of different pieces of software and e-services call for a deeper examination of the relationship between users' needs and the opportunities presented by access to cyberspace. Redefining the framework of digital and media competences in the light of real-world e-services has become essential, particularly in promoting digital inclusion for older adults. The research conducted in Poland in the first half of 2024 explores how older adults engage with digital technologies across multiple life domains. Based on a qualitative study conducted with Polish trainers and potential educators of older adults, nine key categories were identified: daily tasks, finances, education, work and professional development, social relationships, health, leisure and hobbies, civic engagement, and religion. Each of these categories is linked to specific websites that can greatly improve the quality of life for older adults and should be integrated into digital inclusion programs.

Teaching in public involves reducing barriers to access and nowhere is this more appropriate than with the subject of electronic resources and the delivery of virtual learning opportunities. The future of the university, in a time of resurgence of neoliberal values, the primacy of market forces and an increasing emphasis on private rather than public provision, has become the subject of much debate. Insufficient attention, however, is being paid to the possibility of exclusion which is the inevitable results of increasing digital pedagogies and practices. This chapter focuses on the role of the university in ensuring equitable access to digital technology. Over the last decade the possibilities of virtual learning have included opportunities for widening participation, increasing student numbers and opening up world trades in professional and academic expertise, thereby sustaining the globalisation of education. This chapter addresses the limitations to these opportunities, in particular the failure to prioritise issues of digital inclusion and the divisive consequences of digital discrimination. The chapter is in two parts: the first examines the adoption of virtual learning within higher education, in particular the ability of the technology to both enable and deny access. The second looks at the wider implications of this duality when set against the background of an increasingly digital society, and how inclusive practices are failing to have inclusive results.

In diesem Beitrag widme ich mich den Themen „digitale Teilhabe“ und „digitale Spaltung“. Ich analysiere die Bedeutung und mögliche Ausprägungen dieser Phä- nomene und erörtere ihre Auswirkungen auf die Verwirklichung einer gerechten Gesellschaft. Ziel meines Beitrags ist es, die moralischen und sozialen Implika- tionen digitaler Ungleichheiten zu beleuchten und die Relevanz eines inklusiven digitalen Raums und seiner technischen Grundlagen zu betonen. Um die digitale Spaltung der Gesellschaft zu verringern und allen Menschen eine gleichberech- tigte digitale Teilhabe zu ermöglichen, ist es zentral, politische und gesellschaft- liche Initiativen zu unterstützen, die einen allgemeinen Zugang zu digitalen Tech- nologien und Ressourcen für ihre vollständige Nutzung sicherstellen. Es ist ebenso essenziell, die negativen Auswirkungen von Exklusionsprozessen wie Zensur durch voreingenommenes Content-Management oder Diskriminierung von Min- derheiten durch Cybermobbing in Online-Communitys zu berücksichtigen und zu bekämpfen.

The article explores the redefinition of learning objectives within the context of digital education for older adults, addressing the critical need to enhance digital inclusion. It emphasizes the centrality of learning objectives as foundational elements in the design, implementation, and evaluation of educational programs. The study underscores the necessity of revising these objectives to promote the development of digital competences among older adults. As society becomes increasingly digitalized, traditional educational models must evolve to accommodate the dynamic digital landscape. The REMEDIS research initiative seeks to modernize educational frameworks and establish a more effective approach to cultivating digital skills in older populations. By employing SMART criteria and leveraging the expertise of senior and future trainers, the study identifies 12 key categories for contemporary educational objectives, including: basic computer and mobile device use, digital terminology, email communication, cybersecurity, online information retrieval, social media usage, instant messaging, culture and entertainment access, online financial management, e-commerce, smartphone software applications, and time management. The qualitative analysis of digital education objectives for older adults reveals a spectrum ranging from basic digital literacy to advanced e-service utilization, while also highlighting the importance of aligning these objectives with the practical needs of older adults.

The study examined whether the COVID-19 pandemic had created digital opportunities for Small to Medium Entrepreneurs (SMEs) in the Bulawayo Metropolitan Province, Zimbabwe or it had actually exposed their lack of digital acumen. The interpretivist paradigm, a qualitative descriptive approach and a case study design were adopted for this study. The research used semi-structured questionnaires to solicit data from 30 purposively selected small to medium entrepreneurs. Data were thematically analysed to discern meaning. The study revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic had led participants to embrace technology, as evidenced by their acquisition of technological gadgets. Furthermore, ownership of technological gadgets had facilitated working from home, in the comfort of their homes; reaching clients irrespective of boundaries; having easy access to information on business transactions; the ability to do business even during the pandemic; ordering and ease of payment of suppliers; convenience and flexibility in doing business and discovering business platforms they were not aware of. The study concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic was the initiator for the digital inclusion of SMEs in the Bulawayo Metropolitan Province, after the realisation that for their businesses to remain operational in this uncertain and disruptive environment, they had to embrace technology. The study recommended that workshops to train and equip SME owners with digital skills be conducted so that in the event of other pandemics, their businesses would remain afloat.

O desenvolvimento da sociedade da informação reforçou a existência de obstáculos que dificultam o acesso e o uso apropriado das tecnologias por certos grupos, levando a novas formas de exclusão no mercado de trabalho, nas instituições governamentais, no lazer, e nas atividades educativas. Contudo, reduzir o hiato entre aqueles que estão conectados e aqueles que não estão tendo acesso físico mais barato e mais rápido à internet não resulta automaticamente numa eliminação da distância colocada pelas desigualdades digitais. É um erro assumir um posicionamento tecnologicamente determinista, que vê o acesso à tecnologia como solução para os problemas sociais, incluindo problemas de desigualdade social, democracia, liberdade, interação social e um senso de comunidade. Na verdade, muitas dimensões e padrões existentes podem gerar e reforçar desigualdades, aumentando ainda mais as distâncias entre cidadãos/usuários. O termo “hiato digital”, muitas vezes usado como expressão binária, pode nã...

In a highly digitized society, internet use yields many advantages in everyday life. The share of non-users is dwindling but at the same time their disadvantages become increasingly severe. For more evidence-based public policies to mitigate the risks of digital exclusion, long-term results from representative surveys are needed. This article investigates how digital divides-social differences in internet adoption-evolved in Switzerland from 2011 to 2019. The results of multiple binary logistic regressions reveal that internet use remains stratified along existing social differences and non-use has become increasingly concentrated in traditionally disadvantaged societal groups. Lower income and lower educational attainment have consistently predicted internet non-use, and the age gap between users and non-users has increased. Gender did not influence internet adoption. The main self-reported reason for non-use was lack of interest. Being indirectly exposed to the internet through proxy use is a key enabling factor for internet use.

Are universal access and computer literacy the keys to ending the digital divide? No, argue Bach, Shaffer and Wolfson. Socioeconomic inequality and social exclusion demand a more aggressive and nuanced plan to address this problem. They argue for a Digital Human Capital framework, taking into account the complex nature of social exclusion in the informational age. Based on a year of qualitative research on BTOP programs in Philadelphia aimed at closing the digital divide, the authors conclude that ICT training initiatives must shift toward critical social and cultural practices that encourage full participation in community affairs, cultural life, and official institutions. Policymakers must design digital inclusion initiatives that ultimately lead to diversity in media ownership, expand digital literacy, and teach participants to create meaningful content.

España se ha ido transformando por el intercambio producto de movimientos migratorios, pero desde el año 2000 el dinamismo económico positivo mostrado por el país y la necesidad de incorporar personal en puestos de trabajo lo convierten en el principal responsable del crecimiento demográfico de la población inmigrante y sus familias. La llegada de inmigrantes al país durante la bonanza activó la creación de asociacionismo inmigrante, fue así como nacen varias asociaciones intentando facilitar la vida de sus colectivos. Sin embargo, a partir del 2008 comienza la crisis económica, cambiando la figura de la migración, frenando la inmigración, disminuyendo las llegadas de nuevos inmigrantes y aumentando las salidas de inmigrantes y autóctonos a sus países de origen y nuevos destinos. Estos movimientos migratorios internos y externos junto con la crisis económica son los responsables del debilitamiento y cierre de buena parte de las asociaciones de inmigrantes.
Palabras claves: Asociacionismo inmigrante, Migración. Tejido asociativo

Demand for an EU mental health strategy existed before the pandemic but has intensified since. This policy study explores the need for that strategy, given the increased prevalence of mental health conditions, and the corresponding demand for services and cross-national concerns about mental health in Europe.

This policy study examines mental health systems in France, Ireland and Poland, the scale of mental health issues that have arisen during the pandemic and the extent to which marginalised and at-risk groups receive targeted support. In the context of these findings, it considers the need for an EU-wide strategy for mental health systems to meet these challenges and build resilience in EU communities.

Resumo O desenvolvimento da sociedade da informação reforçou a existência de obstáculos que dificultam o acesso e o uso apropriado das tecnologias por certos grupos, levando a novas formas de exclusão no mercado de trabalho, nas instituições governamentais, no lazer, e nas atividades educativas. Contudo, reduzir o hiato entre aqueles que estão conectados e aqueles que não estão tendo acesso físico mais barato e mais rápido à internet não resulta automaticamente numa eliminação da distância colocada pelas desigualdades digitais. É um erro assumir um posicionamento tecnologicamente determinista, que vê o acesso à tecnologia como solução para os problemas sociais, incluindo problemas de desigualdade social, democracia, liberdade, interação social e um senso de comunidade. Na verdade, muitas dimensões e padrões existentes podem gerar e reforçar desigualdades, aumentando ainda mais as distâncias entre cidadãos/usuários. O termo "hiato digital", muitas vezes usado como expressão binária, pode não ser adequado porque sugere um hiato unidimensional, baseado principalmente no fator econômico-possuir tecnologia-, ao passo em que há hiatos em perspectivas múltiplas, que vão além do simples acesso ou da obtenção dos recursos. Essas dimensões criam desigualdades digitais que, se não forem retratadas, produzem e reforçam as desigualdades sociais. Os conceitos de estratificação social e digital estão intimamente interligados. Palavras-chave Hiato digital, inclusão digital, exclusão digital, desigualdade digital. 92 Exclusão digital: como é estar do lado errado da divisão digital M a s s i m o R a g n e d d a

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown has shattered the everyday lives of young people, limiting peer interactions and disrupting privacy, with potential for long-term detrimental impacts. This study uses rapid virtual quantitative and qualitative surveys undertaken from April to July 2020 with over 4,800 adolescents affected by displacement in Bangladesh and Jordan to explore adolescent girls' experiences of social isolation and lack of privacy. Our mixed-methods findings suggest that the pandemic and policy response has caused sharp restrictions on privacy and substantially limited interactions with peers, with larger impacts on girls, particularly those with disabilities. For girls, digital exclusion exacerbates these gender differences. Given that privacy and peer interactions are paramount during adolescence, age-, gender-, and disabilityresponsive programming is essential to ensure future wellbeing.

Resumen Las nuevas Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TIC) están produciendo cambios acelerados en el ámbito social, cultural, económico y educativo. Nunca tantas personas habían accedido a las innovaciones tecnológicas en tan poco tiempo. Pero además de oportunidades, esta es una sociedad de barreras: no sólo crea nuevas brechas entre colectivos sociales, sino que mantiene las anteriores aunque articuladas de forma diferente.

RESUMO:
A educação básica no México, composta pelos níveis de pré-escola, ensino fundamental e ensino médio, constitui a base do sistema educacional nacional. Sua evolução tem sido marcada por avanços tecnológicos, desafios estruturais e a necessidade de adaptação a contextos emergentes. A pandemia de COVID-19 acelerou uma transformação sem precedentes, evidenciando desigualdades no acesso à tecnologia, conectividade e alfabetização digital. Este artigo analisa a trajetória da educação básica no México, desde as tentativas anteriores de integração tecnológica com programas como Enciclomedia e Habilidades Digitais para Todos, até a resposta emergencial com Aprende en Casa. São examinadas as barreiras que dificultaram a transição para o ensino remoto, como a exclusão digital e a falta de formação docente no uso de TIC. Além disso, reflete-se sobre os aprendizados adquiridos e as estratégias necessárias para consolidar um modelo educacional inclusivo, flexível e resiliente no cenário pós-pandemia. A necessidade de fortalecer a capacitação docente, integrar a tecnologia de forma equitativa e reduzir as desigualdades educacionais exige a implementação de políticas públicas eficazes. A pandemia demonstrou que a inovação e a flexibilidade são elementos essenciais para enfrentar os desafios educacionais do século XXI.
Palavras-chave: educação básica; exclusão digital; equidade educacional; ensino pós-pandemia; inovação pedagógica.

The Internet can bestow significant benefits upon those who use it. The prima facie case for an urbanrural digital divide is widely acknowledged, but detailed accounts of the spatial patterns of digital communications infrastructure are rarely reported. In this paper we present original analysis of data published by the UK telecommunications regulator, Ofcom, and identify and reflect on the entrenched nature of the urban-rural digital divide in Great Britain. Drawing upon illustrative case vignettes we demonstrate the implications of digital exclusion for personal and business lives in rural, and in particular remote rural, areas. The ability of the current UK policy context to effectively address the urban-rural digital divide is reviewed and scenarios for improving digital connectivity amongst the 'final few', including community-led broadband, satellite broadband and mobile broadband, are considered. A call is made for digital future proofing in telecommunications policy, without which the already faster urban areas will get 'faster, fastest' leaving rural areas behind and an increasingly entrenched urban-rural divide.

The COVID-19 pandemic shifted many activities online. However, there is little research on the digital inclusion of undocumented immigrants and their experience of the pandemic in the United States. We conducted 32 interviews with undocumented Latino immigrants in the United States to examine how digital technologies mediated their experiences of the pandemic. We find that undocumented immigrants (1) face barriers to telehealth services, (2) are at high risk of COVID-19 misinformation, (3) experience difficulties in assessing privacy risks, and (4) experienced heterogeneous outcomes of technology use during the pandemic. Our analysis shows that digital technologies both supported and further marginalized undocumented immigrants during the pandemic. Future research on the digital inclusion of vulnerable populations should pay particular attention to the interaction between their underlying vulnerabilities, on one hand, and attitudes, uses, and outcomes associated with technology, on the other.