Page 14 - YOU Magazine | Issue 2

The findings are supported by the Australian Digital Inclusion Index (ADII), which provides the most comprehensive picture of Australia’s online participation, measuring three vital dimensions of digital inclusion: access, affordability and digital ability.
ADII 2019 has ranked Australians aged 65 years and over as Australia’s most digitally excluded age group with a score of 48.0, or 13.9 points below the most digitally included age group (those aged between 25 and 34).
The same index shows Australians living with disability (classified
in the ADII as receiving disability pensions) also have a low level of digital inclusion compared to other Australians. In 2019, this group had an ADII score of 52.0, 9.9 points lower than the national average.
Social inclusion impact
Jess Wilson, the National Director of social change charity Good Things Foundation, says few people realise that 2.5 million Australians are not online and many more only have limited digital skills.
Jess says that this has important implications for social inclusion, finding work, enabling seniors to work longer and ensuring Australia’s future economic prosperity.
“Looking at the social angle, nearly one-in-four Australians
are struggling with loneliness
as a regular feature of their lives. Loneliness can affect people at any point but is more common among
two key groups: older individuals aged 75 and above and, perhaps surprisingly, young people aged 15–25. Getting connected to the internet can provide greater access to the community and reduce isolation, particularly for seniors who are incredibly vulnerable at the moment.”
“The benefits of the digital economy cannot be shared when some members of the community are still facing real barriers to online participation,” she says.
The head of Australia’s national independent regulator for online safety, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman-Grant, says whilst the digital chasm in Australia is narrowing, there are still clear disparities in internet usage between different segments of the population.
Fear of the unknown
Julie says this lack of engagement is often driven by a fear of technology and the perception that it has no personal relevance to their lives.
“With basic services and utilities increasingly online, being digitally connected and engaged is now more important than ever.”
One of the biggest barriers
to getting seniors online is apprehension, with 75 per cent of people in this age group concerned about their privacy online.
This is not without reason.
Australians aged 65 or over made more than 26,400 reports to the Australian Competition and
Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) Scamwatch in 2018, representing a loss of more than $21.4 million.
Of these, older Australians looking to grow their nest eggs but who instead get caught up
in investment scams reported losses of $7.6 million, and those misled through fake relationships reported losses of $5.8 million to dating scams.
The peak body for senior advocacy, COTA says moving government service delivery
and communications online
will increase the potential for scamming to target older Australians as email becomes the expected method of engagement and communication from government.
It says it will continue to advocate for programs and designs that are inclusive of older Australians and that are developed in a manner that encourages increased adoption and digital participation.
“It is critical that the transformation to digital services
is focused on digital inclusion of participants of all ages and does not leave anyone behind.”
Building digital confidence
But the news isn’t all bad. The report, Understanding
Digital Behaviours in Older Australians also concluded that many older Australians are interested in developing and acquiring new digital skills.
Whilst many felt that understanding and learning the ‘ins and outs’ of digital devices and the internet can be intimidating, and asking for assistance or guidance can be daunting, they were eager to understand how digital participation can improve their lives.
Those interested in acquiring new digital skills were particularly motivated to upskill for security- related activities such as privacy settings, backing up files, safely downloading files, securing online transactions and using Wi-Fi safely. Other areas of interest included researching family history, using digital
14 WINTER 2020 You