Rethinking the Digital Divide

Helen MilnerCEO - Online Centres FoundationNational Digital Conference 2012

Rethinking the digital divide

31 May 2012 

3,800 Community Partners + 500 Access Points

Pubs

Cafes

Community centres and events

… and churches, libraries, mosques, youth groups, mobile

A barn

A “Bigger Life”

The internet makes you happier than money

The BCS research found that: ‘IT has a direct positive impact on life

satisfaction, even when controlling for income and other factors known to be important in determining well-being’

Source: The Information Dividend: Why IT makes you ‘happier’, BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT by Trajectory Partnership, September 2010

Everyday use is exploding: a bigger divide

Percentage UK population use of the internet

Source: ONS up to Q3 2011

59

6

35

67

5

2813

54

73

5

23

3240

0

20

40

60

80

100

% o

f th

e p

op

ula

tion

2003 2005 2007 2009 2011

All users Next gen user First gen user Ex-user Non-user

OxIS 2003: N=2,029; OxIS 2005: N=2,185; OxIS 2007: N=2,350; OxIS 2009: N=2,013; OxIS 2011: N=2,057

Internet Users in 2011

Next Generation Users

• Use at least two internet applications on their smartphone (eg email and weather)

And,

• Own at least two of the following devices: tablet; reader; or three or more computers

5248

5149

9

91

40

60

0

20

40

60

80

100

% o

f cur

rent

use

rs

Students Employed Retired Unemployed Current users. OxIS 2011: N=1,498

Next Generation Users by LifestageNext generation users First generation users

10

2116

31

16

31

19

4143

64

48

75

0

20

40

60

80

100

% o

f use

rs w

ho d

o m

ore

than

nev

er

Post 'creative'

work

Writea blog

Own apersonalwebsite

Post videosPost photosVisit socialnetworking

sites Current users. OxIS 2011: N=1,498

Next Generation Users by Content ProductionNext generation users First generation users

Offline & Online

First generation & Next generation

Nevers (8.2m) & Littles (14.5m)

No/Narrow use & ‘A Bigger Life’

Goal is to grow confident and independent internet users

88% people feel more confident79% think they are more independent

after they have got help to use the internet

UK online centres progression survey

Oct – Dec 2011

The question is not how can we use technology …..

… it’s what do we want to achieve and can technology help us to

achieve it?

Such as digitising public services

1m online for £30m: Saving £157mThrough UK online centres

1 April 2010 – 27 April 2012

1 April 2010 – 30 May 2012

Local+ Technology

+ Scale

We do this:

Local partners do this:

The magic ingredient is PEOPLE

Thank You

[email protected]@helenmilner on twitterSlideshare.net/helenmilnerwww.ukonlinecentres.comwww.go-on.co.uk