Blog: Bridging the digital divide
- Published: 09 June 2008 13:09
- Last Updated: 09 June 2008 15:58
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Elizabeth McLaughlin, director of the company behind ITV1's Britain's Got Talent website, discusses the problems with the UK's "digital divide".
I have recently been brought into the debate on the so-called "digital divide", its effects on British and global communities, and the ongoing discussion on accessibility. Many are now jubilant in the reduced nature of this divide. However I'm not – even though Ofcom's recent report reveals that the gap has reduced with 59% of rural households now having broadband connection compared with 57% in urban households.
Don't misunderstand me – on paper the report has effectively ended concern of a divide between country and built-up areas. But the divide in terms of digital benefit across all media formats is still larger than ever.
The convergence of new media platforms to create greater digital interactivity has led to increased access and use of these formats; however it is whether communities are 'information literate', i.e. they have the ability to discern the quality of the information provided and benefit from it, that is the real issue behind the digital divide.
It is clear that the UK government, digital service providers and broadcasters are all committed to bridging this divide. And they have come to the conclusion that interactive TV is the most promising in creating a solution. The government said back in 2001 that it was "targeting neighbourhoods" as a means of achieving the switch-over from analogue. It even suggested that digital television would be one of the key weapons in tackling social exclusion and improving the convenience of public services.
The current Ofcom report states that 85% of British homes now have access to digital television, so the government is succeeding in its promise – but is the public actually benefiting from this access?
The watershed is in place to protect children against unsuitable viewing but this is just a guide for children and their parents. In actual fact there is nothing preventing them from accessing it and the figures support this. Ofcom's 2008 Media Literacy Audit finds that two thirds of children watch TV, listen to the radio and use the internet without adult supervision, and that between the ages of 12 and 15 children have on average six media devices in their own bedrooms. The worrying fact is that 59% of 8-11 year olds and 61% of 12-15 year olds trust the media content they view.
And while the government is spending £3 million on an advertising campaign against youth violence I can't help but think that if more money was invested in the control and accessibility of television and games there might be less aggressive behaviour all round.
Globally, many have even speculated a correlation between the digital divide and terrorism, whereby poorer communities become isolated from the West and the internet presents the enormous disparity between the haves and have-nots.
Technology is enabling individuals to make greater content selections and to receive them in more streamlined and intelligent ways above and beyond digital TV. Convergence of devices and technology enables users to create "web personalities" to integrate services, from iPlayer to iTunes and Last FM as well as web services such as RSS and Friing.
Perhaps these web personalities – collated and used by broadcasters – can one day justify the digital benefits for us, and enable a more secure monitor on beneficial accessibility. For now, however, we have to trust our instincts as parents, children, broadcasters and production companies, that the content we provide across all digital platforms is beneficial to those who can access it.
Elizabeth McLaughlin is director at web application specialists Boxharry
