The Digital Revolution is Leaving the Poor and Elderly Behind

To the casual observer, it seems that everyone in our American society is technologically literate and has ready access to the internet. Most jobs now require basic computer skills and social networking sites are rapidly supplanting the stereotypical perpetual teen phone call. Schools introduce computer use in the early elementary level, and require computer use to complete assignments by the middle and high school levels. Laptop computers are on the must-have list for college students. It appears that computers and the internet are inexorably intertwined with everyday life, and we can hardly imagine life without them.

The problem is that techno-literacy and access aren't nearly as pervasive as we believe. Statistics show that only 61.8% of US households have computers and only 54% have high speed internet access. (Statistics are from "A Nation Online: Broadband Age 2004", http://www.ntia.doc.gov/reports/nationonlinebroadband04.htm) What these statistics do no show is that those who have ready access to computers and the internet are far more likely to be in higher socio-economic strata. They are more likely to be more highly-educated and be in the middle or upper class. We, as a society, are rapidly leaving many families behind in this area. The digital divide is very real and it is growing.

There is a pronounced trend among government and service agencies to digitalize forms and put information on the internet. It's an understandable cost-cutting measure because it allows twenty-four hour access with fewer staff persons. The problem is that many people who need to access those services are the very same people who do not have the equipment or knowledge to do so. According to A Nation Online: Broadband Age 2004, statistics indicate that internet usage for persons who do not have their high school diploma or GED is approximately 15.5%. This is the same population that often needs to access social services and unemployment assistance, and these services have been digitalized. Service offices expect their clients to use skills and equipment beyond their means to get the help they need.

Job searching is another example. Many companies now have digitalized their employment applications and job postings. This makes it easier for well-educated applicants to apply, but raises hurdles for low-income and less well-educated candidates. Even firms that traditionally employ members of this population have made this switch.

Persons with limited internet access also are at a disadvantage when it comes to staying informed. Much in-depth news coverage and analysis has moved from traditional media outlets, such as free commercial television and inexpensive newspapers to cyberspace. Local and national network news programs promise that further details are "a click away" on their websites. Newspaper stories nearly always carry a sidebar with a web link to additional information. Even advertising, the bread-and-butter of newspapers and commercial television, is now conducted on the internet. Coupons are more readily available online, as are tidbits of information like store locations and hours.

Our senior citizens are also suffering from the national obsession with cyberspace. According to the government figures from A Nation Online: Broadband Age 2004, 64% of working seniors have high speed access. Only 24% of nonworking senior citizens make the same claim. That leaves 76% of our older and generally more vulnerable population lagging behind while companies and organizations purporting to serve them are going digital.

A case in point is that of my own parents. I see first hand how difficult it is for them to navigate Social Security, corporate retirement benefits, and insurance without internet access. Their frustration with the system only builds when they feel they cannot access business information, promotions, and customer service offices by more traditional methods.

So, for our society's poor, undereducated and elderly, this golden digital revolution has not been a path to convenience or happiness, but rather has been fraught with frustration and disappointment. Corporate American and government service agencies, the media and small businesses need to ask themselves if they truly believe it is in their best interests to leave 46% of our nation standing alone on the wrong side of this huge digital divide.