Bridging the digital divide: how to stop technology leaving young people behind – The Guardian

MediaCity in Salford Quays, Manchester, where almost a quarter of children live in poverty. Photograph: Ian Dagnall/Alamy

Its barely a few hundred yards, but might as well be 100 miles. MediaCity in Salford Quays, Manchester, is one of the biggest digital tech hubs in the UK, benefiting from almost 2bn of investment in recent years but try telling that to many of the young people living nearby.

The citys economy is booming yet almost a quarter of Salfords children live in poverty. It is one of the most deprived areas in the country: household debt is on the rise, theres been a 72% increase in homelessness since 2013 and almost a third of students are eligible for free school meals. The contrasting experiences of these disadvantaged young people growing up on Salfords crumbling estates and the young professionals working in digital startups a few streets away are acute. The digital divide is measured by more than metres.

Technology is part of our everyday lives; it has become integral to the way we interact and communicate with each other. But it can also intensify even create some of the major social issues we face today.

The 2017 consumer digital index suggests that at least 300,000 young people, or 3%, of those aged 15-24 in the UK lack basic digital skills. These include the ability to use a search engine to find information, complete online application forms, manage money or solve a problem using a digital service.

The implications concern more than finding discounts for online shopping. If a young person in urgent need cannot complete an application form or search for help, they may struggle to even find a bed for the night. They can be excluded from accessing job vacancies or government services, which are increasingly moving online. Legal support, drop-in centre opening hours and counselling services are all just a few clicks away but only if you have the opportunity, confidence and ability to navigate the digital world.

Technology companies have responded to the need for digital up-skilling with a range of initiatives, but this only papers over the cracks. By and large these schemes are tailored to the young people who are already aware of and motivated to improve their own digital skills. What about those left behind? If were to really do something about this, we need to understand the extent to which technology and social exclusion are inextricably linked.

We have found that the young people least likely to have digital skills are those most likely to be facing multiple forms of chronic and acute disadvantage. Whether thats poor literacy skills, living in households affected by drug and alcohol abuse, or experience of the care or criminal justice system, these young people are being disenfranchised, both socially and economically. Without the means to access support, they are trapped in a cycle of disadvantage and vulnerability.

This also makes them among the hardest to reach, which is where the not-for-profit sector comes in. Our new Digital Reach programme, for example, is putting expert youth organisations, who have trusted relationships with disadvantaged young people, at the heart of the response.

By investing in six pilot schemes, running in partnership with organisations such as Action for Children and #techmums, we want to help more than 4,000 disadvantaged young people across the UK acquire basic digital skills as well as the confidence and opportunities that brings.

These charities and grassroots organisations are better placed than big tech companies to understand the needs of their users and tailor support accordingly. Working alongside trusted adults, in safe, familiar spaces, they can foster the kind of close relationships that are key to engaging these young people and giving them the chance to change their lives.

Technology allows us to reimagine how we tackle pressing social issues in unique and innovative ways. It can profoundly help those most in need, but we have a collective duty to ensure it does not leave anyone behind.

Chris Ashworth is programme director at Nominet Trust, the charitable foundation of Nominet

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Bridging the digital divide: how to stop technology leaving young people behind - The Guardian