Accenture report finds significant digital divide in Ireland risks growing social exclusion and skills deficit

Accenture in Ireland has published a report exploring the scale of digital exclusion in Ireland which has found that at least 25% of the Irish population is excluded from an increasingly digital society because of socioeconomic reasons – resulting in a two-speed digital economy that risks leaving large groups of people behind.

The report, entitled ‘Bridging the Gap: Ireland’s Digital Divide’, includes results from a survey of Irish citizens on their own levels of digital competency, and explores how digital skills vary for different groups of the population and how we can tackle some of the barriers to inclusion. The research found that 42% of Irish people describe themselves as ‘average’ or below for digital skills, while a quarter (25%) rate their skills as ‘excellent’, highlighting that a gap in digital literacy still exists in this country.

The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to alter consumer behaviours permanently with more consumers shopping online and more people who haven’t been as comfortable with ecommerce and other digital technology being pushed to overcome their hesitancy.  As the pandemic accelerates digital adoption, the digital divide is likely to widen further.

Alastair Blair, country managing director at Accenture in Ireland said: “The ‘digital divide’ in Ireland is best described as the gap between the ‘haves and have nots’. Our report points to a two-speed digital economy that risks leaving large groups of people behind. Now, more than ever, we need to come to come together to tackle this divide and maximise our potential by empowering Irish citizens with the skills they need to thrive in a digital society. This will contribute to building our skills base which will not only support our nation’s economic recovery, but will further position Ireland at the leading edge of those nations that are adopting and benefitting from the rapidly accelerating digitisation of the world economy.”

Vicky Godolphin, a managing director and the Digital Divide sponsor at Accenture in Ireland said: “The digital divide in Ireland is real. Our report highlights the gap between those who have the confidence, skills and ability to engage with digital services, and those who don’t. If all the stakeholders come together to tackle the divide, digital skills could become a real equaliser in Ireland, supporting efforts to tackle societal challenges such as loneliness and inequality, and helping create more opportunities for many more of our citizens.”

The ‘digitally disenfranchised’

Despite being one of the most advanced economies in the world, Accenture’s report found that large parts of the Irish population are ‘digitally disenfranchised’, where a lack of direct exposure to technology, or the educational opportunities to understand it, exacerbate existing social inequalities and further isolate already marginalised communities. Only 28% of respondents identifying as ABC1s described themselves as ‘average’ or below when it comes to digital skills, a figure that rises to 50% for those identifying as C2DEs. Inextricably linked to social class is education, with 55% of those who had attained Leaving Cert level education or below saying they have ‘average’ or ‘below average’ digital skills.

While a significant number of ‘digital natives’ – individuals who have grown up with the internet and digital devices – describe their digital skills as average (over one in five of those aged 18-34), there is still evidence of a generational split, and older citizens inevitably fall on the wrong side of the digital divide. Over 45s tend to have the lowest confidence in their digital literacy; 44% of those aged between 45 and 54 years rated their digital skills as ‘below average’, moving to 60% with those aged between 55 and 64 years, and up to 70% with those aged over 65.

Digital Marginalisation

The report also explored the most common areas of internet-enabled digital interaction, spanning commerce, government and health services, and highlights how disengagement is widespread across Irish society and not limited to an older age demographic. As more people are forced to stay at home and practice social distancing since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, a massive shift to online services poses troubling barriers to the least digitally connected. The report found that over one in five of the population do not use online banking, while nearly 20% do not feel confident conducting basic financial transactions online. 80% of people who self-identify as having ‘average’ or ‘below average’ digital skills are uncomfortable with online financial transactions. Worryingly for employers around the country with staff working remotely due to the pandemic, almost a third of all respondents felt they were ‘not at all confident’ installing apps or software, while 49% said they were uncomfortable creating and editing documents.

The shift to online shopping has also exploded during the pandemic with more people purchasing goods online. Organisations are adapting and focusing on ecommerce but the report shows that 26% of Irish people never shop online and of those who don’t, almost a third are under 55 years of age.

A widening divide

According to the report, the changing jobs market makes ongoing digital education and training more necessary to meet both the ICT skills shortage and to enable people in jobs disrupted by automation to find new work. However, the research finds that a sizeable cohort of society disproportionately impacted by automation is less likely to be confident in their ability to engage in lifelong learning. Around one-sixth of the Irish population who have ‘average’ or ‘below average’ digital skills say they don’t feel the need to improve. This mindset is worse among people with poor digital skills, rising to almost 40%; 38% have no interest and 34% say they are not confident enough to believe they’ll be able to learn. Meanwhile, over one in five people surveyed say they are not interested in using the internet. This cohort is more likely to comprise older men who have not completed second-level education and identify as having ‘average’ or poor digital skills. A third of those with lower digital skills cite a lack of available resources or courses in their area as a barrier to up-skilling, while 29% say they ‘don’t know where to learn’ and 30% say they ‘don’t know how to go about it’.

Accenture’s report points to a correlation between low digital skills and a susceptibility towards online scams and ‘fake news’. 70% of those who have attained a maximum of second-level education say they are not confident in their ability to identify fake or unreliable information. Those over the age of 55 with lower-level social skills are also less confident identifying false information online and more likely to fall prey to ‘fake news’ or internet scams.

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