Online participation is increasing across Australia, however gaps continue to exist between those who are digitally included and excluded, linked closely to social exclusion and disadvantage.
Today’s release of the second Australian Digital Inclusion Index reveals a four year picture of online participation across Australia, examining the three areas of online access, affordability and digital ability.
The Index was compiled by researchers at RMIT University, in partnership with the Centre for Social Impact at Swinburne University of Technology, Telstra and Roy Morgan Research.
Key findings of the Index include:
Lead researcher, Professor Julian Thomas from RMIT’s Digital Ethnography Research Centre said there are still around three million Australians who are not online and as a result are missing out on the education, health, social, and financial benefits that come with connection.
“What we’ve found is that nationally, digital inclusion is improving, but there is much more work to be done,” said Professor Thomas. “We can see that there are particular groups who are more likely to be digitally excluded, and who lack the ability to maximise the benefits of being online. As an increasing number of essential services and essential communications move online, the divide is getting deeper.”
Professor Jo Barraket, Director of the Centre for Social Impact Swinburne, said that the Index shows that digital inclusion follows some clear economic and social contours, with Australians who have lower levels of income, education and employment less likely to be online.
“Digital inclusion has become fundamental to participation in economic and social activities at a community, national and global level,” Professor Barraket said. “The Index is a vital information tool to shine a light on areas of exclusion and with four years of data we’re now able to get a longer term view of trends that are significant.”
Telstra’s General Manager of Digital Inclusion Nancie-Lee Robinson said that the Index was being used by Telstra partners across the community, government, education, and corporate sectors who are focused on addressing digital inclusion.
“We wanted to help create an information tool to inform not only our work in addressing digital inclusion – but that of others in this space. Over the past 12 months we know that our partners have been using this information to focus and refine their work to address digital inclusion gaps,” Robinson said.
“As we continue to head down the digital highway, being online is becoming a pre-requisite, not a choice, and those who are excluded will become significantly more marginalised. The Australian Digital Inclusion Index is about understanding the drivers of digital inclusion to help us bridge the gap.”
The Index is based on data from Roy Morgan Research, obtained from their ongoing Single Source survey of n=50,000 Australians per annum.