Researchers at the Centre for Social Informatics published an article in the journal Technological Forecasting and Social Change
Andraž Petrovčič, PhD, Bianca Reisdorf, PhD, Anabel Quan-Haase, PhD, Jošt Bartol and Darja Grošelj, PhD, published an original research article titled “Digital inequalities among internet users before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: A comparison from two cross-sectional surveys in Slovenia” in Technological Forecasting and Social Change, a top-tier journal addressing societal impacts of technology.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on today’s society and accelerated its digitalization. However, accelerated digitalization has not necessarily had a positive impact on society and may have even increased digital inequalities. Although understanding this topic is of utmost importance for both practitioners and policymakers, existing literature offers limited insights into the development of digital inequalities during this period.
To address this gap, the present study analyzed the relationships between the three levels of digital inequalities based on data collected in two representative cross-sectional surveys conducted in 2018 (before the pandemic) and 2022 (during the pandemic).
The results showed that, despite the increase in internet access and a broader range of internet activities, digital inequalities have not significantly decreased. This points to the need for multi-layered and targeted policies to help disadvantaged groups (e.g., older adults, less educated, unemployed) acquire the skills and knowledge needed for full integration into the digital society.
The study was conducted as part of research projects J5-2558 (The Implications of Proxy Internet Use for the Internet Skills of Older Adults) and V5-2275 (Digital Inequalities and Older Adults in Slovenia) as well as the research programme P5-0399 (Internet research).