In September 2023, PRIME project team members Dr Sara Bailey, Professor Agnes Kukulska-Hulme and Dr Elizabeth FitzGerald presented some of the PRIME project’s key findings at the University of Liverpool-hosted Digital Inclusion Policy and Research Conference (DIPRC 2023). The presentation took a deep dive into the experiences of older Asian and Asian British-identifying adults of using digital healthcare, housing and energy services. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), Asian and Asian-British individuals over the age of 55 are significantly less likely to use the internet than White individuals in the same age category. This particular demographic group is, therefore, at risk of being disproportionately negatively affected by the digitalisation of essential services.
The presentation focused in on the experiences of 20 individuals aged 55-87 who identify as being of Indian, Bangladeshi, Pakistani or Chinese heritage, and three key barriers to using digital services were identified: digital poverty (a lack of or intermittent access to internet connectivity and an internet-connected device such as a smartphone or a laptop); inadequate digital literacy; and inadequate language support such as translation functions on digital service platforms.
Importantly, the findings demonstrate that for some service users, it is insufficient to have access to an internet-connected device. The device must also be appropriate to users’ individual circumstances. For example, some of our research participants were visually impaired, and had access to a smartphone, but not one with built-in accessibility features, which made it very difficult to use digital service platforms. The findings also demonstrated the importance of moving away from a reliance on ONS statistics on ‘recent internet users’ – defined as individuals who have used the internet in the last three months – to evaluate the likely impacts of the digitalisation of essential services. Many of our research participants used the internet for activities such as looking up information or watching television, and as such, would be defined as ‘internet users’. They were, nonetheless, unable to navigate more complex digital platforms such as those used by many service providers.
The presentation also explored some of the consequences of the failure of digital service providers to provide language support. For example, some of our research participants said that they were increasingly reliant on relatives to translate written communications with digital providers, raising both privacy and safeguarding concerns.
The presentation concluded by arguing that improved national-level data collection is required in order to more effectively inform public policy related to digital inclusion and the digitalisation of services. In particular, we need a better quantitative understanding of the demographic groups who are at present excluded from digital services, and whether such individuals are receiving the same quality of service as individuals who are able to use digital channels of communication.
For further information about the findings presented at the DIPRC 2023 conference please contact the PRIME team.
