Symposium Digital Inequalities in the Post-Pandemic World
On Thursday, June 15th, the Faculty of Social Sciences (UL FDV) hosted the Symposium Digital Inequalities in the Post-Pandemic World, organized by the Centre for Social Informatics (CDI). Distinguished scholars in the fields of digital inequalities research, internet studies and social informatics came together to discuss the impact of the pandemic on digital disparities and evaluated their effects in different societal domains and across diverse cultures.
The event was divided into two parts. The first part was chaired by Dr. Simona Hvalič Touzery (UL FDV – CDI) and featured presentations by renowned scholars. Dr. Eszter Hargittai (University of Zurich) discussed digital privileges during the COVID-19 lockdowns, emphasizing how the lack of digital skills affected people in different social contexts. Dr. Bianca C. Reisdorf (University of North Carolina at Charlotte) presented a paper dealing with the effects of remote learning and increased intergenerational technology guidance within lower-income families. The symposium also shed light on other aspects of digital inequalities. Dr. Grant Blank (University of Oxford) presented a study on the influence of digital inequalities, health information media, and mass media on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Dr. Anabel Quan-Haase (University of Western Ontario) highlighted the importance of digital skills in the exchange of social support among older adults. Dr. Andraž Petrovčič (University of Ljubljana) introduced an explanatory model of digital inequalities and algorithm literacy. Lastly, Dr. Philipp K. Masur from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam presented differences in online privacy literacy across age groups.
Book of abstracts is available here.
The second part featured a round table on "Challenges and Opportunities for Digital Inclusion after COVID-19" moderated by Dr. Darja Grošelj (UL FDV – CDI).
The symposium provided scholars and the wider public with insights into the complex issues of digital inequalities and emphasized the importance of initiatives to ensure equal access to digital resources for all social groups. Based on these insights, we can build a more inclusive and equitable digital future.
The symposium was supported by the research projects “The implications of proxy internet use for the internet skills of older adults” (ARRS, J5-2558), “Digital inequalities and older adults in Slovenia: An evaluation of the measures implemented under the Digital Inclusion Promotion Act” (V5-2275), and “Digital inclusion and longevity society in the post-pandemic time” (BI-US/22-24-055), in collaboration with the programme group “Internet research” (P5-0399).