No Business Left Behind

The UK Digital Strategy was published at the beginning of this month, and includes seven strands that will contribute to the government’s plans for ‘stronger, fairer country that works for everyone, not just the privileged few.’ Karen Bradley, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport wrote that it was an important step in ensuring that 'nobody is left behind in the digital revolution,' (2017). The second chapter of the policy paper outlines plans for growing digital capabilities and ensuring that everyone has access to the skills they need and highlights the role that libraries should play in this. As I’ve written before, we are experiencing a paucity of digital literacy skills among the new generation of students and employees. I believe this is in some ways the result of our misplaced assumption in the proficiency of the digital native, as well as the reduced socio-economic capital and access to support that is now experienced by people of all ages across the United Kingdom. 

Marc Prensky popularised the notion of digital natives in 2001, suggesting that those born in the late eighties now have near-innate technological competence, enabling them to thrive in a world of iPhones and global-WiFi (2001). The concept of digital natives has been widely debated, critiqued, and even discredited. Yet, I still overhear fellow professionals discussing the proficiencies of a generation that has been ‘born digital.’ Digital competence, and in particular – literacy – is not innately acquired, no matter how much an individual is exposed to technology throughout their lifetime. Further, studies have shown that there is little-to-none in the way of differences in generational approaches to learning (Bullen, Morgan, Columbia, & Qayyum, 2011; Lai& Hong, 2014). Believing elsewise, have we neglected to instil digital literacy skills in an entire generation of Britons?

A person’s socio-economic capital can predict the level of competence in digital literacy. Areas of social deprivation have poorer public library provision, underfunded schools, and reduced internet connectivity (Palmer, 2012; Office for National Statistics,2016). Those over 65 are particularly lacking in internet access and digital skills, mostly because they cannot afford it. In the last decade public authorities have drastically reduced funding to services, and to public libraries in particular (Loughborough University, 2015). Spending on library resources (such as staff, stock, and services for example), as well as opening hours has fallen, resulting in reduced visits to public libraries throughout communities (Department for Culture, 2016).

A community of connected and digitally-literate individuals is critical to the success of our society in the years to come. It is no surprise then that the UK Digital Strategy places such importance on digital skills acquisition. To its credit, the strategy mentions the role of libraries in facilitating this. However, that discussion is largely perfunctory, as the strategy has placed an alarming amount emphasis on the role of corporately-sponsored education and development programmes in remedying the skills gap. A raft of companies including Microsoft, Amazon, Lloyds Bank, Halifax, Barclays, BT, Accenture, Cisco, O2, Samsung, Sky, Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, Deloitte, IBM, Apple, and of course Google are ‘hugely welcome’ to steer the direction of digital literacy in the UK according to the policy paper.

In comparison, the role of libraries in the success of the strategy appears to be inconsequential and this is problematic for a number of reasons. Not a single one of these organisations can be relied upon to champion the rights of individuals in matters of privacy, freedom of expression, or equality. In fact, they have a history of doing just the opposite. It’s incredibly naive to leave the education of our communities in the hands of companies that are primarily interested in promoting the financial success of their products and services. These businesses are not interested in building a ‘stronger, fairer country’ unless it is profitable for them.

The slow march towards full corporatisation of our education system will continue apace. Meanwhile, people across the country will continue to live lives of deprivation. This is aided by the fact that they cannot access appropriate training and education that will allow them to experience healthier, well-informed lives without sharing their data or compromising the integrity of the information offered (Clark, 2016). For this reason I’m sceptical that the UK Digital Strategy will meet its lofty aim of growing the digital capabilities of people across Britain.

Bibliography

Bradley, K. (2017) Why the UK's Digital Strategy will ensure 'nobody is left behind'. Wired. Retrieved from http://www.wired.co.uk/article/uk-digital-strategy-karen-bradley
Bullen, M., Morgan, T. T., Columbia, B., & Qayyum, A. (2011). Digital Learners in Higher Education : Generation is Not the Issue. Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, 37(1), 1–24. http://dx.doi.org/10.21432/T2NC7B 

Clark, I. (2016, March 14). The digital divide in the post-Snowden era. Journal of Radical Librarianship. Retrieved from https://journal.radicallibrarianship.org/index.php/journal/article/view/12/27

Department for Culture, M. and S. (2016). Taking part focus on: Libraries. Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/519675/Libraries_short_story_-_FINAL.pdf

Lai, K.-W., & Hong, K.-S. (2014). Technology use and learning characteristics of students in higher education: Do generational differences exist? British Journal of Educational Technology, 46(4), http://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12161

Loughborough University. (2015). Public and Academic Library Statistics. Loughborough University. Retrieved from http://www.lboro.ac.uk/microsites/infosci/lisu/lisu-statistics/lisu-uk-library-statistics.pdf

Office for National Statistics. (2016). Statistical Bulletin: Internet access households and individuals. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/householdcharacteristics/homeinternetandsocialmediausage/bulletins/internetaccesshouseholdsandindividuals/2016

Palmer, G. (2012). United Kingdom: lacking consumer durables. Retrieved March 10, 2017, from http://www.poverty.org.uk/11/index.shtmlPrensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5). Retrieved from http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf