Chris Fletcher, Policy, Campaigns and Communications Director at Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, looks at the issue of digital poverty.
If you’re reading this then you should count yourself lucky.
No, it’s nothing to do with any sparkling insights or Pulitzer prize winning writing.
It’s as simple as the fact that you are reading this on some form of digital device. Whether that’s a phone, tablet, desktop or maybe even on your TV? And it’s not just the fact that you have the latest kit, it could be on an older device but at least you have something and the knowledge how to use it.
It’s probably something you take for granted? I know I do.
These last few months have seen our reliance and acceptance of digital communications reach new heights as those of us that can do have acquired new ways of working away from the office at our kitchen tables, dining tables, on our sofas, in our bedrooms and all sorts of other areas away from the office.
For many years now the talk has been about going truly mobile but the technology didn’t work well enough did it?
I think it’s safe to say that the enforced innovation over the last few months have safely put concerns about the technology to bed. It can be done, and it can be made to work. In the 140 odd days I’ve been working from home I’m as busy and productive as I ever was in the office. But it is a far from perfect experience for everyone.
For each person that has found it liberating and transformational other people will have found it frustrating, emotionally challenging and in some cases damaging too. Whether you love it or loathe it, it’s here to stay and the genie is well and truly out of the bottle never to go back.
Obviously a huge number of occupations and jobs can't be done from home. Throughout the last few months huge numbers of businesses have continued to work as normal as they can with production lines rolling and construction sites busy. With high streets and hospitality opening up again these are face to face industries, even with all the new safety measures they have to follow.
So we have jobs that can be done at home and jobs that can’t – with some in between and technology playing an ever increasing and important role in all occupations. But there are also some other issues to contend with before we can even begin to think about reaching some form of digital nirvana.
And I’m not talking about poor broadband or sketchy wifi.
There are people, residents in our community maybe family or neighbours with no phone, no PC, no tablets or if they have they have little or few skills to get the best from them. With on-line this and on-line that how can, how will we ensure everyone has opportunity in the future?
Digital poverty is real and in the future people’s ability to succeed and live a full, engaged life will not just be about the haves and have nots but it will also be about the can and can’t do’s. It will not just be about having access but the ability to apply and use skills to get the most out of software, applications and equipment at home, at work and everywhere else.
Over the coming weeks I’ll write more about what digital poverty means and the very real impact it has on people’s lives and the knock-on impact on the economy and the ability for people to be fully engaged and to succeed.
We will be picking this up as a major campaign theme in the next few weeks to look at what needs doing and start action. In the meantime I’d be really interested in hearing from you about your views on this and what you see as digital poverty. Drop me a line at chris.fletcher@gmchamber.co.uk (and yes I do understand and get the point about using digital comms to work on this subject – it sort of makes the point well doesn’t it?).